Of Dragons and Darkstones
by Saerphe
Summary: The Dark Ace has a new toy, and a new friend. Will the Storm Hawks be able to compete with such power? or will they be picked off one by one? rated T to be safe. R&R, but please be nice, this is my first story. OC's will occur.
1. Chapter 1: Attacked!

**Hi, this is my first story. I don't own Storm Hawks, but you prob'ly figured that. Other wise I'd be writing plots for NerdCorps, instead of posting this on a fan fiction site. And a wonderful Fanfic site it is too. :) Anywho, read and review please, I love helpful pointers!**

_**Attacked!**_

Stork struggled to pilot the Condor amidst the chaos all around him. Cyclonians had managed to infiltrate the carrier ship, and the other Storm Hawks were trying to hold them off while the Merb looked for a safe terra to land on. Having at least two Cyclonian Destroyers hot on their tail didn't help. The fight was going very badly. The Condor had taken heavy damage from the Cyclonian's blasters.

Aerrow was exhausted; He wasn't sure that he could hold off the Dark Ace much longer. But Aerrow could tell that his nemesis was tiring too. He could see it in the Dark Ace's blood-red eyes.

Red blade crashed on blue, and Aerrow was forced against a wall. Dark Ace removed the Firebolt crystal from the hilt of sword and slipped it in his belt pouch, pulling out a black crystal instead.

"Do you know what this is, Aerrow?" He taunted, setting the crystal in the hilt of his sword, "A gift from one of the most ancient of races in the Atmos. It hasn't been seen in over a thousand years. You should feel honored. You'll be the first to experience its power." Dark Ace activated the blade; it crackled with malicious dark energy. Aerrow barely had time to react as his enemy fired a bolt of black energy directly at his heart, and his body exploded in agony.

* * *

Piper was fending off a pair of burly Talons with her staff when she heard Aerrow cry out in pain. She disarmed both of them and forced them out the Condor's shattered window (checking to make sure their parachutes activated, she wasn't _that_ heartless) and rushed to her leader's side.

Dark Ace stood over the young Sky Knight, watching with dark pleasure as Aerrow's body twitched at his feet.

"Aerrow!" Piper cried out in horror. Dark Ace turned towards her, his blade raised. Piper just barely parried his powerful blow. A bolt of energy ran up her staff. Her arm burned and she dropped it. Piper snatched it up again and rolled out of the way of a second blow. She swung with all her might and connected with the Talon commander's sword. The crystal broke out of its place and flew out of the window. The Dark Ace's blade went dim. Piper pointed the end of her weapon at the Dark ace's throat.

"You could take that last jump," She said threateningly, "Or fall by the staff of a superior opponent. I know which one I'd choose." Dark Ace sneered at the crystal specialist and turned towards an enormous hole in the wall.

"If I were you," he retorted, "I'd keep a close eye on your _sky knight_." Dark Ace said scathingly. He nodded towards Aerrow, who lay very still. Then he jumped.

Piper sighed with relief and rubbed her right arm. It had gone numb from the shoulder down, and she couldn't move it. She knelt at Aerrow's side and turned him over onto his back. He was very pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead. A scorch mark blackened his chest.

"Aerrow?" Piper called softly. The sky knight moaned and opened his eyes. He saw his teammate and his green eyes widened in fear.

"Piper! You've got to get out of here! The Dark Ace--" A sharp wave of pain rolled over him, cutting him off. He gasped, wincing.

"Aerrow they're gone, we drove them off." She reassured him. A crash shook the Condor. Aerrow gave Piper a look that plainly said '_Are you quite sure about that?_'

"We're hit! The engines are down!" Stork's voice carried over the intercom, "We're doomed" he added. Aerrow struggled to get up, ignoring his protesting body. Piper placed a hand on his uninjured shoulder to stop him. At this point the Condor was propelled by nothing but its own momentum.

"Aerrow, you've got to lie still. We don't know how bad this is!" Aerrow shook his head stubbornly.

"I don't care; we have to get to the bridge! The others need our help." Aerrow's vibrant green eyes met Piper's amber ones and she sighed. She knew that look. As gently she could with her one good arm she hoisted him to his feet. Piper supported him as his knees buckled and helped him walk as best she could.

It was all Aerrow could do to keep dragging his feet along the hall towards the bridge. His reserves of energy were completely drained. It was pure will that kept him going now.

They struggled to keep their balance as the Condor finally slowed and pulled into a nose dive. The two Storm Hawks stumbled onto the bridge.

Chaos reigned supreme. Stork was sweating profusely as he tried to pull the carrier ship straight. Junko and Radarr were frantically trying to hold the pipes together. Finn was picking himself up off the floor.

"Junko," Aerrow yelled to the Wallop, "Get to the engine room, and fix what you can as fast as you can. Radarr, go with him and help." Piper could hear the strained note in her leader's voice, as much as he tried to hide it. Strong winds buffeted the Condor side to side, and the ship groaned under the strain. Finn glanced out of the ship's wide windows, and gasped.

"_Blizzicane!_" he screamed. At that everyone hustled to grab onto anything that was bolted down. The storm toyed with the Condor like a cat plays with a mouse before it makes its kill.

Piper did her best to hold onto Aerrow, but he slipped from her grasp when the ship hit the ground. Upon impact they were both thrown from the ship. The last thing Piper knew before she was knocked out was the panicked screams of her teammates.

**Oooh the suspense! Lovin' Storm Hawks! Stay tuned for Chapter two!**


	2. Chapter 2: Lost

**Hello, we're back! On with the story!**

_**Lost**_

The first thing Piper noticed was that she was freezing cold. And she had a terrible headache. She sat up groggily and peered about. All she could see was ice, snow and big rocky mountains. She suddenly remembered what happened when she saw the wreckage of the Condor. Then she remembered Aerrow.

Suddenly terrified for her friend, she cast about frantically for him. Piper got up unsteadily and walked around the Condor, searching for Aerrow. She didn't have to search long. She found him lying sprawled near the base of the ruined engine. He was unconscious, and barely breathing. He had a long gash above one eye, and Piper thought he might have some broken ribs as well.

There was no sign of the other Storm Hawks. Piper hoped they were okay, but she had to get Aerrow somewhere safe and warm before she could search for them. Easing Aerrow up until he was leaning against Piper's shoulder, she looked around for shelter. She spotted a cave in the side of the mountain. '_That's as good a place as any_,' Piper thought to herself. Trying to ignore her pounding headache, Piper proceeded to hoist Aerrow up so that only his feet touched the ground. She knew it would probably make any broken ribs worse, but what choice did she have?

The climb up to the cave was longer and steeper than Piper had anticipated. By the time she reached the mouth of the cave, her muscles ached, and her head was pounding even harder than before. She had barely enough energy to make Aerrow as comfortable as possible on the stone floor of the cave before she had to lie down herself. She dropped off to sleep before she even realized how tired she was.

Little did she know, someone else already lived in the cave.

**Yeah, short chapter I know, but Chapter three will be considerably longer. On my honor! **


	3. Chapter 3: Found

**You can guess from the title that I love Dragons, but to keep things clear, this isn't a crossover from Dragon Booster. I actually have never watched that show. Maybe someday, but this is purely Storm Hawks. We all know I don't own Storm Hawks, just this particular plotline, and a couple other characters I made up. Anyway, here's Chapter three.**

_**Found**_

Piper stirred where she lay. When she opened her eyes, she found the cave dimly lit and comfortably warm. She sat up. A blanket slid off of her, and she found her injured arm had been bandaged and now rested in a sling. Now that there was some light, she could see that the cave had been carved out and the walls smoothed down. Little shelves jutted out of the walls; they held many small bundles of what appeared to be plants. A curtain of thick hanging moss obscured the mouth of the cave. Through the gaps in the moss Piper could see thick flurries drifting down. A fire crackled merrily in the center of the cave. Strangely, it didn't even give off a wisp of smoke.

Piper turned, looking for Aerrow, and found an enormous blue… _thing_ hunched over him. She cried out in fear and it turned around and studied her with blue slit pupil-ed eyes. Now that she could see it well, Piper thought it looked like the Dragons in ancient books she had been lucky enough to see. But they were _extinct_… weren't they?

"_Get away from him!_" she squeaked. The Dragon stared at her cautiously, and, much to Piper's surprise, padded to the back of the cave where it sat and watched her every move. Now that the Dragon had moved to the back of the cave, she could see that her other teammates were here too. They were all sleeping peacefully. Finn snored loudly, Stork was sprawled out under his blanket, Junko had his thumb in his mouth, and Radarr twitched in his sleep, growling. Piper allowed herself a brief smile. They were all okay. '_Except Aerrow'_, she thought sadly. Piper kneeled on the floor beside him, wanting to get a better look at his injuries.

The cut on his forehead had healed completely, leaving no sign of its existence. An enormous burn mark blackened the left side of his chest. A green-brown paste had been spread over part of it. Piper noticed more of it in a small clay bowl beside her. She scooped up a little bit on her finger and sniffed it. It smelled like ginger and rosemary, as well as a few other herbs she couldn't identify. Piper felt Aerrow's forehead. He was burning up, and his breath came in shallow rattling gasps.

"If you don't let me help him, he won't last much longer." The Dragon called from where it sat. It took Piper a moment to register that the beast had spoken to her. She looked up, startled.

"You talk?" Piper exclaimed. The Dragon (who Piper was sure was female) nodded. Piper studied the blue creature closely. She had a long horse-like face, and a stiff spiny crest ran from her forehead to the base of her neck. A pair of long curved silver horns swept elegantly back from her head. The Dragon's tail was tipped with a sharp arrow-shaped bony growth. Piper tried to remember what the tail tip was called. It was an isoscele; yes that sounded right.

"Are you going to let me come back, or are you just going to stare at me all night?" The Dragon said impatiently. She kneaded the stone floor with her large front paws. Piper blushed, embarrassed. She nodded, and the Dragon trotted briskly across the cave.

"Call me Weaverbird." The Dragon introduced herself.

"I'm Piper. How long have I been out?" She asked.

"A few hours; not long" Weaverbird replied.

"But how did…?" Piper indicated where the cut on Aerrow's forehead had been. Weaverbird lifted her head rather proudly, showing off a chain mail collar with a large blue crystal set into the front. A silver light pulsed gently in the center, like the heartbeat of a star. Piper admired it enviously. Then she frowned. "If you could heal something as trivial as a cut then why couldn't you heal that?" She indicated the burn mark on Aerrow's chest, on which Weaverbird was spreading more of the ginger paste. The she-Dragon looked at Piper sadly.

"The power of a Dragon Crystal is very great, but every Dragon has their limits. I would not have been able to heal that wound right off, but I could have healed the worst of it."

"So you didn't bother?" Piper said angrily. The Dragon jerked back, apparently offended.

"On the contrary, I did. But something about the injury is resisting the healing process. Watch." Weaverbird placed both strong paws on Aerrow's chest; he shivered when the Dragon's rough paws came in contact with his injury. The light in the Dragon crystal got brighter and pulsed faster. A soft blue glow emanated from under Weaverbird's paws, and Aerrow's breathing quickened. After almost a minute of this however the Dragon removed her paws, shaking her head. Piper took a closer look. Aerrow's condition had not improved, and the burn appeared untouched. She sighed.

"Do you know anything about how this happened to him?" Weaverbird asked, "If I knew the cause, it might make it easier to find a cure." The Dragon looked at Piper hopefully. Piper wracked her brains for details about the battle with the Cyclonians. An image of the Dark Ace standing over the defeated Aerrow flashed through her mind. Another flashback showed a black crystal spinning out of the Condor's window.

"The Dark Ace powered his energy blade with a black crystal. But I've never even heard of a black crystal before." Weaverbird stared at Piper, her expression unreadable. "What?" Piper asked.

"That's just not possible," The Dragoness replied darkly, "That crystal was lost centuries ago, and no human ever knew about it." When Piper looked her confusedly Weaverbird continued.

"That black crystal, the Darkstone is the shame of my race. It was fabricated over two thousand years ago by evil Dragons, intended as a weapon against those who opposed them. When the war began, it was used for interrogating prisoners. Prisoners who were exclusively Dragons.

"You see Piper; Dragons are much stronger and more resilient than humans. We can take more of a beating. And that crystal is viewed by us to be the cruelest form of torture there is. Physical pain is only a small part of it. There are other ways to make someone hurt enough to tell you everything you want to know."

"What do mean?" Piper asked, horror-struck. Weaverbird started searching all of her shelves for something.

"If I remember correctly, the Darkstone's energy acts as a sort of… poison I suppose. Any wounds inflicted by it refuse to heal. It slowly and painfully drains the victim of all their energy, leaving them helpless. It also induces terrible nightmares, preying on the victims' worst fears." She had pulled an ancient tome from its place and blew a substantial amount of dust off of it.

"Is there any way to reverse the effects?" Piper asked.

"I think there's a way to draw out the poison without the use of the Darkstone, but as far as I know, it's only been used once, as it's extremely unpredictable." The Dragoness flipped through the crusty old pages, her face almost completely buried in it. "Here it is!" Scanning the page Weaverbird frowned.

"What is it?" Piper asked nervously. The Dragoness sighed.

"This is the most complicated spell I've ever seen. The only place I know of that would have all of these ingredients is Terra Vapos."

"Did somebody say Vapos? Are they in trouble again?" Finn sat up groggily, rubbing his head.

"You've been to Vapos?" Weaverbird asked interestedly. Piper nodded.

"I'm their Domo." Finn said regally, doing his best to look noble. Piper rolled her eyes at the sharpshooter. Weaverbird raised a bony eye ridge.

"How are we going to get Aerrow over there? He's in no condition to be moved. And the Condor is a wreck."

"We haven't got a choice, if wounds inflicted by the Darkstone won't heal while its energy circulates through the body," Weaverbird replied, "You'll have to fix your ship as quickly as possible. I'd carry your friend on my back, but it would be too cold, and the air too thin for any human to breathe." Piper sighed. There was no alternative.

"All right, as soon as the others wake up we'll get to work on the Condor." Piper said dejectedly. Weaverbird nodded approvingly, and padded to an unoccupied spot on the floor and coiled up there comfortably, her tail curling around her front paws.

"Now that we have a plan, why don't you tell what's been going on in the world for the past ten years? I've scarcely been off this terra in all that time." So Piper and Finn launched into descriptions of all that had happened in the Atmos for as long as they could remember. Outside the cave, the sun began to rise.

**Wow, that was a long chappie! Things should get more interesting now that the wheels are starting to turn. See y'all at chapter four!**


	4. Chapter 4: Nightmares and Heartsure

**Wow, I feel efficient! two chapters up in one day! (four and five) Enjoy! I don't own Storm Hawks. By the way, thanks for the reviews everyone:)**

_**Nightmares and Heartsure**_

The sun was setting on the third day since the Storm Hawks crashed on Terra Draknor, as it was called by Weaverbird. They were making good progress on the Condor, but it would still be a while before it was flyable. All of the teammates were asleep after a hard day's work.

All except Piper and Radarr. They sat together with Aerrow, who still hadn't woken up. He was shivering, and muttering in his sleep; he still had a high fever, despite Piper's attempts to cool it with a damp cloth. Radarr whimpered and looked to Piper for reassurance, worry creasing his furry blue-gray face.

"He'll be okay Radarr." Piper said, although she had not quite convinced herself. Finally letting her curiosity get the better of her, Piper leaned in to hear what Aerrow was mumbling.

"No…. Leave them alone….. I'm the one you want…." The young sky knight shifted painfully, letting out a long strained sigh. Piper watched sympathetically, then got up and walked to a corner of the cave where Weaverbird was sleeping. The Dragoness was curled up with her head on her paws, and her tail had flopped over her nose. Piper gently prodded the blue Dragon awake.

"What is it?" Weaverbird asked sleepily, her eyes half open.

"I think those nightmares you mentioned have started up. There's probably nothing you can do about it, but you said to let you know if anything changed." Weaverbird got up and padded over to where Aerrow lay. She leaned in to listen to his mutterings, her small pointy ears pricked. The Dragoness reared up until she was balancing comfortably on her hind legs. Piper stood beside Weaverbird, watching the Dragon.

"Actually, there may be something to keep the fever dreams at bay. Its real name is Heartsure, but it's often called 'Healer's Best Friend' by Dragons. I remember my mother would burn it when I was sick, or even suffering from nightmares. Very useful little plant. And simply beautiful as well. It grows in big clumps on the south side of the terra." Weaverbird plucked a stalk covered with tiny flowers shaped like gold bells from yet another shelf. A sweet aroma filled the room when Weaverbird tossed the flowers in the fire that now burned constantly in the cave. Wisps of golden smoke drifted up to the ceiling and hung there serenely.

Just a whiff of the flower-scent calmed Piper's nerves. The fingers on her right arm tingled, and she flexed them. She was delighted; it was the only movement she'd been able to coax out of that arm since the battle with the Cyclonians. Radarr rumbled and curled up at Aerrow's side, eyelids drooping. Piper took a look at her leader.

His breathing had eased up a bit and he was shivering a little less now, though he was still burning up with fever. Within a few minutes he was sleeping relatively peacefully.

"Wow, that's some flower!" Piper commented. Weaverbird smiled a crocodilian smile at the navigator. The Dragoness nudged Piper's cheek with her snout, blowing a stray strand of black-blue hair out of Piper's eyes.

"Get some sleep." She said, but Piper had already dozed off beside Aerrow and Radarr. Weaverbird stared at the sky knight for moments, thinking of how much he looked like his father. She sighed sadly, lamenting for her lost friend. Then she curled up just inside the entrance of the cave, protecting her charges from the cold and the danger of the world outside her lair.

**Weaverbird has some secrets to tell! I'm sure you're all smart enough to know not to use any herbs as medicine unless you know what it does. Bye-bye!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Little Things

**Hi, we're back! Here's chapter 5, it's shorter than the last one, but meh. There's still plenty left to go, I assure you. You all know what to do, click that little blue button!**

_**Little Things**_

As usual, Piper was sitting next to Aerrow, wishing he would wake up. The other Storm Hawks were just finishing the repairs to the Condor. She could hear Stork flipping out at Finn for messing something up. Again. Weaverbird landed gently at the entrance to the cave, rustling her leathery wings into a more comfortable position on her back. She'd come to check up on them both.

"I just wish he'd wake up." Piper lamented. Weaverbird studied the sky knight closely. They had continued to burn the Heartsure, and Aerrow's nightmares had at least slowed if not stopped. Piper's arm continued to recover too; she had the use of her whole hand back now, but the rest of her arm refused to move. She was growing steadily more frustrated.

"Oh, he's conscious all right. Just too exhausted from the fever and his injury to react to anything. Even to open eyes, which I'm sure he'd do if he could, if only to help you feel better. Ease him up a bit; let's see if we can get him to drink a little water." Piper shifted Aerrow so that he leaned against her shoulder. Weaverbird made a complicated gesture at a stray rock by the cave wall, and it molded itself into a cup.

Piper had seen the Dragon manipulate things before, like when she used her Dragon crystal to bend the metal plates of the Condor's hull back into shape, but it amazed her every time she saw it. Weaverbird gestured again and it filled itself with clean water from the small spring at the very back of the cave. It floated back to Piper who pulled it from the air. She held the cup to Aerrow's lips, hoping with all her heart he would respond.

Her hopes were rewarded. He swallowed weakly, but only once. That small action must have cost him what little energy he had left. Piper laid him back down again and brushed some of Aerrow's red hair out of his face. Not that it helped much; it just flopped down over his forehead again.

"You're fighting a losing battle there, Piper." Weaverbird commented. Piper shrugged. She couldn't help but feel elated that Aerrow had been able to make an action as small as taking a sip of water when he had been completely inert for so long.

"I think I'll see if the guys need any help." Piper said, unable to hide the little bubble of happiness in her voice. There was a slight spring in her step as she walked out. Weaverbird smiled to herself. Examining Aerrow, she found he'd fallen asleep again, but underneath his pain and weakness, she could sense another emotion. Weaverbird concentrated harder, trying to find out what it was. She blinked in surprise. It was affection; affection for his navigator. And there was gratefulness too, for something as small as a sip of water.

_'Well,'_ thought Weaverbird_, 'Sometimes the little things are the things you're most thankful for.'_

**Aaaw! A little bit of AerrowXPiper fluff for you shippers out there. A much happier chappie compared to the last three. Yay Happy! See everyone at chapter five! tomorrow's the last day of school until the holiday's so I'll have lots of time to write. Bysers:) **


	6. Chapter 6: Sharing Memories

**Hi everybody! To celebrate no more school for two weeks, I decided to post chapter 6! Yay! Anyway, in this chappie you get a little more insight on Weaverbird's(My OC) background. Like the rest of the characters, she has a sorry-sob-story of her own to tell. She doesn't tell much (Dragon are very secretive beings) but all will be told before the end. But enough of my ramblings; on with the story!**

_**Sharing Memories**_

Stork clambered up into the cave. Everyone was eating some food that Weaverbird was able to scrounge up from somewhere. It had taken a while, but the squadron had gotten accustomed to Weaverbird's presence. Stork had been especially unnerved by the Dragoness' presence.

"Well, I think we may be able to leave for Vapos tomorrow." he announced, his eye twitching a bit. "But, how are we going to get _him_," the Merb gestured at the unconscious Aerrow, "down to the Condor from way up here?" Piper sighed. She hadn't even given that any thought at all yet. Weaverbird was thinking; you could practically see the gears turning in the Dragoness' head.

"Junko, Finn, come with me." She crouched down to let the boy and the Wallop on her back.

Sitting proudly atop the Dragon's back, Finn remarked, "Hey, it's not so bad up here! Just like the pony rides I used to go on as kid!" With Finn and Junko bumping along on her back, Weaverbird trotted to the entrance of her cave. She stood for a moment with her front claws curling over the ledge just outside the 'door'. Finn looked a little uneasy.

"Wait a minute," He said pointing at the mountain's steep slope, "You're not going to jump are you?" Weaverbird grinned and crouched, gathering the muscle in her hind legs.

"This is nothing, Finn. Try jumping into the Wastelands. Now _that's_ what you call thrilling!" Weaverbird beat her powerful wings a few times to get them started and sprang off of the cliff, Finn and Junko screaming in terror. Piper giggled. Dove was right, they were overdramatic. Weaverbird gave a musical roar that was filled with joy. She loved the sky, and it pained her already wounded heart that she was bound to her terra until her curse was broken. But if Aerrow survived, she would be free to roam the Atmos until the end of her long years. She could finally hunt for her mate's murderer again.

At least she could travel to Vapos with the Storm Hawks. If it was to fulfill the promise she'd made years ago, she would not be hindered. _'Thank goodness for_ _loopholes!'_ Weaverbird thought happily, savoring the sensation of the wind under her wings, blowing her crest back from her face.

Spotting a stand of trees, Weaverbird pulled into a circling dive towards them, and landed gently in the snow. Junko and Finn slid off of her back. The latter looked rather airsick.

"I never want to do that again." Finn rasped.

"Too bad you have to, to get back." Junko pointed out Finn groaned. Weaverbird chuckled. She padded over to the trees and began checking them for straight branches. With Junko's help, she broke them off and had Finn sort them into bundles to take back to the cave. When they were finished Finn reluctantly climbed onto the Dragoness' back, clutching a bunch of branches with one hand and Weaverbird's crest with another. Weaverbird beat her long paddle-shaped wings then carried them swiftly back to her lair.

* * *

Aerrow had been drifting in and out of consciousness for days. He couldn't tell exactly how long; days simply blurred into nights. His injury burned constantly, although whatever had been spread over it dulled the pain a bit. His throat was sore; he was parched and didn't have the strength to drink much water.

But there was comfort for him, he found. Often he could feel Piper's fingers brushing his hair off of his forehead, or clasping his hand tightly. And sometimes he felt a tiny hand that could only have been Radarr's resting on the uninjured side of his chest.

The nightmares still occurred but they weren't as bad now, as a hazy golden fog had seeped into his subconscious. Aerrow didn't know what it was; only that the dream demons couldn't penetrate it and he could rest a little easier.

Aerrow was completely unconscious when Weaverbird and Junko gently moved him from where he was sleeping to the makeshift stretcher they had fashioned. It was made from the branches they'd brought back and a long sheet of canvas Stork had found aboard the Condor. Piper and Finn strapped their leader to the stretcher so that he wouldn't fall off when Weaverbird flew him down to the Condor. The whole process of making the stretcher and executing their little plan took about an hour.

Once the sky knight had been settled in his quarters, Weaverbird returned to her lair to collect some herbs and her few possessions. She stood alone in her lair for a few moments, reflecting on the last few decades of her life. Five hundred sixty-four years wasn't old for a Dragon. But too few of her kin had lived to adulthood, and almost none had lived long enough to be called an elder. Piper walked up to join her new friend.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked, laying a hand on Weaverbird's long neck. She'd learned a lot about humans from the navigator; physical contact played a large role in human society. The Dragoness sighed sadly, staring around at the walls of her home.

"There are so many memories in this cave. I've lived so long here. My kits were born here. I suppose I'm sad to be leaving it." For years she'd dreamed of leaving, of avenging her lost mate. But now, the pain in Weaverbird's heart was almost unbearable. Piper looked at the Dragon sympathetically.

"Where are you're kits?" Piper asked quietly. Weaverbird hesitated a moment.

"Hidden. Hidden away until the world is safe for them again." Weaverbird replied. Piper, noting the look on the Dragon's face, decided not to press the matter.

"I never really had a real home. Until I joined the Storm Hawks. I was always just shunted from place to place like…" Piper trailed off sadly.

"Like you were never really wanted." Weaverbird finished for her. Piper nodded.

"Of course we're still shunted from place to place, but at least I'm not alone. At least I have people that care about me; like a family would." Weaverbird wanted to tell Piper that she thought Aerrow liked her a little more than as a sister, but she'd let him tell her on his own time. They stood together in silence for a minute, until Stork interrupted their reveries.

"We're just about ready to go if you are." The Merb told them. He was still slightly jittery around Weaverbird. He jumped as the Dragoness turned to him and nodded.

Gathering up the herbs (she'd packed plenty of Heartsure) and her possessions (a book of remedies, her mate's silver crystal, and a gold harp with silver strings) Weaverbird took one last forlorn glance at her home and left. She promised she'd return someday, but she'd like to travel for a while. Who knew? Maybe when she returned she'd have her two kits in tow.

And so, her heart lightened slightly, Weaverbird prepared to finally leave the terra she'd been bound to for ten long years.

**There you have it! chapter 6. It took me awhile to think of what to write, but a nice little heart-to-heart talk between two characters never hurt, right? any way, chapter 7 is on the way, stay tuned!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Battle of Terra Bluster

**Hello, all my faithful readers! Thought I'd say, thanks again for all the reviews, they make me feel so loved! I suppose I should also state that I don't own Storm Hawks, but it would make a great Christmas gift! Just kidding. Here's chapter 7, I had lots of fun writing this one!**

**PS: In order to understand some of the stuff in this chapter, it helps to have watched ep24: 'Calling all Domos'.**

_**The Battle of Terra Bluster**_

Weaverbird was finding it a bit difficult to navigate around the Condor. It wasn't that she kept getting lost. No, she just kept getting stuck. The Dragoness found herself wedged in a doorway for the third time that day.

"Darn doors are so small…" She cursed her idiocy, "Stupid 'if the head fits the rest of the body will fit too' instinct." Weaverbird growled under her breath. She wriggled a bit, trying to loosen her body but all she succeeded in doing was knocking over a vase when her tail hit the wall. Radarr, who was rounding the corner into the hall at that particular moment, yelped in surprise as the vase nearly rolled over him. "Sorry Radarr!" The Dragoness called, her voice slightly muffled by the wall. The sky monkey gave an exasperated whine at Weaverbird's plight. _Don't you ever learn?_

"Apparently I don't," The Dragoness replied, "I could use a little help." She gasped. The door frame was starting to constrict her a bit.

_I'll go find Piper; they might have to grease you again._ Radarr sighed as he scurried from the hall. Weaverbird groaned. It had taken ages to wash all the butter off the last two times. She hoped fervently that the Storm Hawks weren't planning on having popcorn for a while.

* * *

Half an hour, two pounds of butter, and a bottle of vegetable oil later Weaverbird was free and unhurt (except for her pride, as Radarr pointed out). 

"We're going to have to do something about these doors," Piper said, "They're just not big enough. And we're running out of butter." Weaverbird snuffed unhappily, still trying to remove the butter and oil from her scales. Her tongue rasped over them gently.

_I'll bet you taste real good._ Radarr remarked, grinning.

"Oh shut up." Weaverbird snapped at the mission specialist.

"What?" Piper asked, offended.

"Talking to Radarr. He could use a real attitude adjustment." Weaverbird quickly tried to clear up that little misunderstanding. Piper raised an eyebrow. "Dragon crystals let my people understand the languages of all living creatures. Some of them should learn to keep their furry little mouths shut." Radarr snickered. He loved being able to tease someone who could actually understand him. It was hard to make fun of Finn and Stork when all he could do was chatter at them.

Weaverbird sighed, placing her front paws together in front of her crystal as if in prayer. A soft blue glow enveloped the Dragoness and when it faded, she'd shrunk to the size of a large dog. She hated having to change her physical form (Dragons could be kind of vain at times) but in this case it was a necessity. As soon as they landed on Vapos, she'd restore herself to her original size.

* * *

Weaverbird entered Aerrow's quarters to check on him. Only Radarr was there, as Piper was needed to help Stork chart a course to Vapos. She walked up and stood beside the sky monkey, who was staring at Aerrow sorrowfully. He was still unresponsive, but at least they'd been able to get some water into him. Heartsure smoke had gathered on the ceiling, swirling in incomprehensible patterns.

_Is he ever going to get better?_ Radarr whimpered. Weaverbird looked at the little creature. His long ears were drooping, as was his bushy tail. Radarr's fur was matted in places; he looked like he hadn't groomed himself for a long while.

"It'll become clear once we reach Vapos." Weaverbird replied, "As my mother used to say, 'Where there's life there's hope.'" Radarr nodded, but he still didn't look convinced. Weaverbird ruffled the little critter's blue-gray fur with her snout, and took her leave.

Piper approached Weaverbird as she entered the bridge. She held out a map for the Dragoness to study.

"We've got a plan, but it's not a great one," The navigator told Weaverbird, "We can probably reach Vapos by this time tomorrow, but we'd have to pass over Terra Bluster to get there."

"What's wrong with that?" Weaverbird asked perplexed. Last time she'd been to Bluster, it had been a nice little getaway. Of course the last time she'd been to Terra Bluster was over two hundred years ago.

"It's been conquered by Cyclonia, And Ravess is in charge of it. There's no way we can make it without being detected, but it'll take too long to skirt around it. If we had the time, I'd say go around but…"

"Then I'll take Finn and Junko for backup and we'll try to hold off this Ravess and her minions. Time is of the essence. We can catch up to you later."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I can probably use a few drizzle crystals to make some cloud cover, and we can slip through in that."

"I'm sure. Besides the Condor will still show up on their trackers, and I need to practice my fighting skills." Piper nodded, obviously still unsure. Weaverbird smiled reassuringly at the girl.

"Relax, I'm a Dragon. They won't stand a chance. Not only do I have my crystal, but also all the weapons nature gave me. That includes breathing fire, among other things." The Dragoness kneaded the floor with her front paws as she often did when she got agitated.

"Your right; I guess I'm just worried about Aerrow. If he were awake, he'd be just as eager as you to kick some Cyclonian tail." Piper admitted.

"Don't worry; we won't even let them see the Condor." Junko called from across the room. Piper smiled. They would make Aerrow proud, she just knew it.

* * *

"We're approaching Terra Bluster. If they see us, we'll be so doomed" Stork called from his place at the helm. Finn, Junko, and Weaverbird were in the hangar, preparing themselves for a possible battle with the Cyclonians. Finn was gathering more crystal bolts for crossbow, and Junko was making sure that his 'Little Birdie' missiles were properly in place. He didn't want the getting stuck again like they did in their first battle with the Cyclonians. Weaverbird was pacing the hangar excitedly, rustling her wings. She'd restored herself to her original size for battle. A tiny Dragon wouldn't take out many Talons. 

Their skimmers finally ready, the trio took off, flanking the Condor from a distance. They kept sharp eyes out for Talons. For a time, none appeared.

"Where are they?" Finn asked impatiently, "Those losers are usually out here by--" Finn was cut short by a crystal tipped arrow that just barely missed his face.

"I hope you'll excuse us for being fashionably late." Ravess taunted from below. She had a seven-man squadron of Talons with her. Eight, if you included her violinist. Weaverbird flattened her ears against her head. She already hated Ravess' theme song; that violinist would be her first target.

'_Let's see if I've still got it in me._' Weaverbird thought, inhaling deeply. With a slight forward lunge, the Dragoness let loose a powerful jet of flame that caught the Talon's switchblade on its crystal converter. The aircraft went down in flames, and a parachute with the Cyclonian emblem opened below. If Ravess hadn't seen Weaverbird before, she did now. Her golden eyes widened in disbelief, but the Talon leader didn't back down.

"Let's see if I can match that shot." Finn said raising his crossbow sighting another talon. But Weaverbird lost track of what was happening to her companions when she was nearly hit by several arrows fired simultaneously at her by Ravess. Uttering a fierce battle cry, the Dragoness dived at her enemy, teeth bared and claws shining in the sun. Ravess barely pulled away in time. She pulled her switchblade Elite into a dive and chased after the Dragon, leaving her squad of Talons (now reduced to four) at the mercy of Finn and Junko.

Weaverbird weaved between the treetops of Terra Bluster, leading Ravess in an acrobatic aerial dog fight. She was starting to get out of breath; The Dragon hoped the Condor was well over the terra by now.

Ravess, sensing her quarry's exhaustion, dove into the trees and converted her ride to its bike mode. She raised her bow and sighted the Dragoness weaving above her. Locking onto her target, Ravess fired.

Weaverbird only realized that Ravess was no longer behind her when she felt an arrow pierce her throat just under her chin. The Dragon gave a choked cry of pain, and crashed into the forest.

Finn saw Weaverbird get shot down. Quickly dispatching the last Talon, he signaled Junko to follow him, and pulled down toward the trees. He held off on the throttle and glided virtually silently into a clearing in the forest.

Ravess found Weaverbird at the same time Junko and Finn did. A couple Talons who had been on patrol accompanied her. Finn and Junko hid behind a broad evergreen tree and watched. Ravess drew a wickedly sharp knife and advanced on Weaverbird's body.

"Once we have the Serpegry, we'll be rich!" exclaimed one Talon excitedly. Finn gasped, sickened. Ravess intended to cut open Weaverbird's stomach to get her hands on the crystals that grow inside. Serpegry was a very powerful and valuable substance, Finn knew from experience. The sharpshooter crept closer to the Dragoness' body. Much to Finn's surprise, Weaverbird opened her eyes. She was alive! She winked discreetly at him and closed her eyes again. Ravess nudged the Dragon's body with a toe, completely unaware of Weaverbird's trickery.

As Ravess started to kneel next to her, the dagger raised, the Dragoness pounced on the Talon leader with a furious roar. The dagger was knocked from Ravess' grip as she fell. The two talons that had accompanied Ravess screamed in terror and bolted away.

"Lose skin comes in handy at times, don't you think?" Weaverbird said lightly, pointing at the arrow in her throat.

"Get off of me!" Ravess yelled, squirming under Weaverbird's paws. The Dragon plucked the arrow from her throat before leaning in close to her defeated opponent, fangs bared.

"You're in no position to make demands." Weaverbird snarled softly. Ravess leaned back against the ground. "Now if you know what's good for you, you'll call off the Talons you have attacking the Condor." Ravess' eyes widened. Weaverbird laughed dangerously, "Yes, I know you had an extra squadron ready. Now call them off. You have a radio. _Call them off._" Removing one paw so that her captive could reach her radio, Weaverbird growled warningly. Ravess grasped it.

"Fall back." She ordered. Someone on the other end started to protest. "Just do it!" Ravess yelled. Weaverbird nodded, getting off the current leader of Terra Bluster. But before Ravess could move, Weaverbird gestured at her and she fell to ground, out cold.

Weaverbird trotted over to where Finn and Junko were hidden.

"Get to your skimmers; we have to find the Condor before _she_ wakes up." She flicked her tail at Ravess dismissively. The two Storm Hawks nodded fervently and dashed off.

'_That wasn't so hard.'_ Weaverbird thought to herself, turning to follow the sharpshooter and mechanic.

**That was a nice long chappie. For those who are wondering, they should reach Vapos in chapter 8. Don't forget to review! (It motivates me) :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Terra Vapos

**Hey all! I'm back with chapter 8! Before Christmas, just like I promised. It's a bit long, but I'm sure you guys don't mind. On with the story.**

_**Terra Vapos**_

Weaverbird followed Finn as he pulled into a slow descent above Vapos. Surveying the terra, she found it looked more like a desert terra than the lush farming terra it once was. She found the streets of Vapos were filled with people awaiting the arrival of their Domo. Weaverbird guessed that the Condor had landed safely and successfully, and Piper had notified their gracious hosts of their imminent arrival.

When the trio landed, they were approached by an old man garbed in somewhat richer clothing than the other Vaposians. They gazed at Weaverbird in awe. Although she was familiar with the old stories about Vapos and its link to her people, she still found herself unnerved by the multiple pair of eyes on her. Finn bowed flamboyantly as the elder approached. Weaverbird couldn't help noticing the sharpshooter winking at a pale hared girl in the crowd as he did so.

"Great Domo!" King Agar addressed the hero of his people, "Your friends notified us of your arrival, and so we have prepared the proper welcoming feast for you and your friends."

"All right! I love the formalities." Finn whispered to Weaverbird under his breath. She rolled her slit pupil-ed eyes. Catching sight of the Dragoness, King Agar bowed (at least as much as he could with his bad back). Weaverbird returned the gesture, smiling to herself. He was learned enough to know how to greet a Dragon.

"Most revered Dragon," Agar said, choosing his words carefully, "You are most welcome. Will you join us in celebration? We were expecting the Domo, but I'm afraid we have not prepared for a creature of your stature." Finn gaped at the king of Vapos when he said this. Weaverbird bowed again, lowering her neck gracefully.

"I am pleased to accept your invitation, King among Men." The Dragon used the title of the ancients when addressing King Agar, "But among the Domo's friends there was one injured comrade. I wish to see him so I may assess his condition before the feast, if I may."

"Of course." Agar consented, "We have settled the youth in one of the most comfortable chambers on Vapos. Follow me." Agar turned and made his way down the streets of the city. Finn shot Weaverbird a questioning glance.

"You'll hear about it over dinner." Was the Dragoness' only reply. She turned and followed the King of Vapos.

* * *

Piper and Radarr were with Aerrow when Weaverbird, Finn, and Junko entered the room. 

"How's he doin'?" Finn asked, more serious than usual. Piper looked up, happy to see them. Then she frowned sadly.

"I don't think the trip agreed with him much. He's been getting worse all night. No matter how much I've tried to cool it, his fever just keeps climbing." Weaverbird could feel Piper was quickly losing hope. She leaned past the navigator, evaluating Aerrow's condition.

Aerrow was shivering hard, despite the Heartsure aroma that had sustained him for so long. Resting her chin on the sky knight's forehead, Weaverbird found his fever had climbed dangerously high. Aerrow's heartbeat pounded in her ears and his breath came in shaky and painful gasps, the Darkstone's energy coursing through his veins. Weaverbird straightened up.

"Finn, tell our hosts that the welcoming feast must be postponed. This cannot wait any longer. Then find someone to take us to the terra's herbalist. I'll meet you outside this building." Finn nodded and sprinted off through the wide double doors. Turning to Piper Weaverbird asked, "Do you have any freezer crystals?" She nodded. "Good! Go get them, quickly!" Piper dashed off too.

"Anything you need me for?" Junko asked. Weaverbird thought for a moment.

"Yes; if you could grab my pack from the Condor that would be a great help!" Soon it was just Weaverbird and Radarr in the room with Aerrow.

_What's going on?_ Radarr whimpered. Weaverbird picked up a soft cloth and dipped in a bowl of cool water.

"The Darkstone's energy is trying to assert itself. If Aerrow can just hold on until tomorrow, he might have a chance at survival." Weaverbird said, sponging Aerrow's forehead with the cloth.

_Tomorrow?!_ Radarr screeched.

"I'm afraid the spell to draw out the poison requires around eight hours to stew, if I remember correctly. Crystal stimuli tend to be rather fickle, I'm afraid." Radarr rasped, frustrated; Weaverbird always waited too long to share the important details. Just then Piper and Junko reentered with Weaverbird's possessions, and a crate of freezer crystals.

"Good! Now Piper, you stay with Aerrow; use the freezer crystals to cool the water even further. Junko, I'll take those; you're coming with Finn and I to the herbalist."

As the Dragon and the Wallop dashed out Piper whispered, "Just hang in there Aerrow, once Weaverbird gets everything she needs, you'll be okay."

She hoped it wasn't a lie.

* * *

Weaverbird, Finn, and Junko were being led up a steep hill to the herbalist's shack. An incredibly wide variety of plants were sprawled across the ground; many of the leaves had gone brown, and flowers had wilted. Vapos was still recovering after Finn had sealed away the gargoyle-creatures. 

A shriveled old woman emerged from the shack. She looked in no better condition than most of her plants.

"So the Dragons have returned to Vapos," She called mockingly, "Where have you cowards been all these years, cowering in your caves? Ignoring our people when we had need of you?" She sneered at Weaverbird. "If it hadn't been for our '_great Domo_' we would all be _gone_!"

"Do not hold a grudge for what could not be helped. My people were caught up in our own troubles when the gargoyles attacked."

"The war for the so-called Darkstone you mean? Dragons were abundant at the time; you could have sent someone! Now I expect you need my help? Not after your people failed to honor your promises!" The Dragon and the herbalist traded hostile stares. Then Weaverbird spoke.

"The Darkstone has resurfaced, and is in the hands of an evil empire. I need herbs for one who was gravely wounded by it, and I need them now. Would you have an innocent youth _die_ because of a grudge you've nursed for your entire life?" The herbalist pursed her lips with indecision.

"What do you need, and what's in it for me?" She rasped finally.

"I need Adder's Fork, A cluster of yew berries, the root from a Liber bloom, and…." Weaverbird paused briefly, "A Death's Head Rose." The herbalist's eye's widened.

"But the Death's Head Rose is a lethal poison!" she cried.

"Not if you know how to use it." Weaverbird said softly. The herbalist considered for a moment. The group waited apprehensively.

"I have decided," said the old woman slowly, "Give _me_ the secret of the Death's Head Rose, and I'll give you every thing you need and more, should you ask. I think that's fair." She smiled smugly, as though she'd played the trump card. Weaverbird's lip twitched, exposing a fang for a split second. Then she reached into her pack and withdrew a glowing green crystal; she held it out in front of the herbalist.

"How about I give you this instead?" She asked, waving it tantalizingly before the old woman.

"What is it?" the herbalist asked, obviously uninterested.

"It's a growth crystal. It'll enhance the growth and quality of all plants for years to come. By the looks of things here, you are in desperate need of it. Shall I demonstrate?" She waved the crystal again. the herbalist nodded, her tongue in her cheek.

Holding the crystal up towards the setting sun, Weaverbird buried her other paw in the loamy soil. The growth crystal began to glow, and the herbalist's plants immediately started to grow again. flowers bloomed, leaves unfurled, and seeds that lain dormant for so long cracked open and the new plants pushed through the soil. The herbalist was in awe. Weaverbird withdrew her paw from the soil and the plants ceased to grow, although they remained green.

"Well, I could use the help," the herbalist muttered to herself, "Very well, I accept your offer. _This time_." She chewed her lip, and turned to gather the plants Weaverbird needed. The Dragoness followed, helping the old woman clip stems and flowers from their plants. Weaver bird returned with several bundles of plants strapped to he back.

"Come on, let's get back. Aerrow needs us."

* * *

Piper watched as Weaverbird added the various plants to a small brass cauldron of boiling water. Piper had to admire the Death's Head Rose; It was filled with a terrible beauty. The bloom was so dark a purple as to be almost black, and its stiff stem and leaves were a dark bluish green. It was the last ingredient to the potion. Weaverbird carefully plucked thirteen petals from it and dropped them in the mix, muttering something in a strange sibilant language as she did so. A puff of obsidian steam issued from the cauldron. 

"Now what?" Piper asked.

"Now we let it simmer until tomorrow and pray that it works. Try to remember that it's an unpredictable remedy; no guarantee that it will work." Piper nodded stiffly, "Until then, let's try to get some sleep." Piper bit her lip; she was apprehensive about leaving Aerrow alone all night. Weaverbird caught scent of the emotion.

"I'm sure our hosts wouldn't mind you remaining with your friend for tonight." She said to the crystal specialist. To Weaverbird's surprise, Piper threw her arms around the Dragon's neck and started sobbing. Awkwardly, Weaverbird wrapped a wing around the girl, trying to comfort her. She still wasn't completely accustomed to the ways that humans expressed their emotions. Soon Piper's shoulders stopped shaking and she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"I've just been so worried about him, being so badly hurt and everything. I just hate seeing Aerrow this way; he's always been so strong, and now…" she trailed off, wiping away a stray tear. Weaverbird nodded understandingly. She'd felt the same way about her mate; the only difference was that Aerrow was alive and Silverglow wasn't. Weaverbird missed him _so_ much right then.

"You know, Aerrow always tried to ignore his injuries in the past. I always called him an idiot for it, when he refused to rest and let them heal but… I don't know." Piper shook her head at the sky knight's behavior.

"He's a leader," Weaverbird stated simply, "He must always put others before himself, even at the cost of his life." Piper nodded; she understood, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She knew Aerrow would agree with her newfound friend.

But that wouldn't change Piper's mind. She still didn't like it.

**All right! there'll be a few interesting (I hope) cameos in the next chappie. I'm not going to tell you who; that would ruin the chapter for you. Merry Christmas everybody!**


	9. Chapter 9: Something Amiss

**Hey everybody! Here's chapter 9. Just in time for Christmas! **

**I don't own Storm Hawks, as we established in the first chapter.**

_**Something Amiss**_

Weaverbird woke with a start. Something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her claws on it. Then she realized; Weaverbird couldn't sense Aerrow's presence at all. She scrambled up onto her paws.

Aerrow still lay on the ridiculously comfortable bed that the people of Vapos had provided for him. But Weaverbird still couldn't sense his presence. Or hear his heartbeat or breathing for that matter. A little light clicked on in Weaverbird's head. Piper had dozed off in her chair. Weaverbird shook her awake.

"What's up?" Piper asked sleepily. Weaverbird grasped Piper's hands; she clasped one of Aerrow's hands with one, and placed her other hand over the sky knight's temple.

Stepping back a bit Weaverbird said, "Call to him."

"What?" Piper was getting worried. Weaverbird was generally cool and collected. She had never heard the Dragoness sound so urgent before.

"He's fading, Piper. Call to him." Weaverbird's sapphire eyes bored into Piper's amber ones. The navigator turned back to Aerrow, terrified that he would die right in front of her. And she called out to him with all her heart.

* * *

A spirit wandered the ether. But he could not truthfully say he was at peace, as those around him were. He thought about his son in the living world almost constantly. He worried; '_but I suppose,_' he thought, '_its normal. It's the fatherly thing to do._' He was interrupted from his reveries by a much larger more powerful spirit that brushed past him. 

"_Your son is fading Peregrine. He will join us soon._" It said to him. Peregrine recognized it as the spirit of Silverglow, who had been a Dragon in life. A rush of panic overcame him.

"_No! He is much too young to join us now!_" he cried. The Drake's spirit turned and flew back towards Peregrine, pausing in front of him.

"_Then let us guide him back to where he belongs. You are not the only one who worries about the kits they left behind._" And so the two spirits hurried for the forbidden passages that lay between life and death.

* * *

Aerrow had no idea where he was. He didn't realize that he wandered the border between life and death. But he did know that he was lost. Instead of remaining where he was he kept walking. Some evil wraith could have found him easily, but he got lucky. His father found him first. 

When the two spirits descended towards him, they hadn't assumed a visible form yet. But the blue and silver hazes slowly resolved into a red-haired man clad in blue, and a handsome silver Dragon with intense brown eyes. The three beings stood and stared at each other for a long while. Silverglow broke the silence.

"He looks almost exactly like you Peregrine." The Drake purred to his companion. Aerrow gave a start.

"_Dad?_" he gasped incredulously. The last time he'd seen his father, Aerrow had been only four; not old enough to remember anything about him. Peregrine's face split into a grin that Aerrow knew only too well, for he often wore it himself.

"Aerrow!" he embraced his son tightly. When they broke apart he continued, "What are you doing here?" he looked at Aerrow through dark blue eyes. Aerrow had inherited his mother's eyes and build as well. Peregrine had been built along more stocky lines. Aerrow was actually taller and slimmer than his father.

"I dunno. I can't remember anything." He wracked his memory for a trace of anything that had happened since the battle with the Cyclonians; but he could hardly remember that. He knew it had happened, but Aerrow couldn't remember taking part in the fight. He sighed.

"Well," Peregrine said, "You've wandered far enough. We're here to guide you back." Clapping a hand on his son's shoulder he laughed, more in relief than anything else.

"_Aerrow? Aerrow, come back. You're too far gone; you've got to come back!_" Piper's voice echoed around him.

"Piper?" Aerrow called, trying to contact his friend; to tell her he was okay. Apparently she didn't hear him, because she kept calling.

"It would seem that your friends have noticed your…" Silverglow searched for the right word, "_absence_. We must get moving." The Drake broke into a brisk trot, pulling ahead of his human companions. Aerrow looked at Peregrine who nodded encouragingly. The two humans followed.

* * *

"Weaverbird, it's not working!" Piper cried despairingly, "he isn't responding!" She looked on the verge of tears. Weaverbird kept her eyes trained on Aerrow, praying he would wake up; that he would survive.

"Keep calling him. Don't give up yet. He hears you, I'm sure of it. Give him time." But deep in her heart, Weaverbird was starting to lose hope too.

* * *

As Peregrine and Silverglow guided Aerrow back to the land of the living, they kept him occupied by listening to the stories of his many adventures. It wasn't that they weren't interested; even Silverglow was impressed by the youth's escapades. '_So many experiences for one so young_,' he thought. But now that they were nearing their destination, catching up with his father also served to keep Aerrow from noticing the burning pain slowly building in his chest. Even Silverglow and Peregrine were starting to feel the effects of the living world on their spirits. They could feel the pain from the injuries that had killed them gaining in strength. They knew though, that Aerrow had it worse; his body was still alive. Their own had decayed long ago. 

Aerrow felt the pain, but he tried to ignore it. After a while, however, he couldn't bear it anymore. His knees buckled and he fell forward, breathing heavily. He felt Peregrine's hands on his shoulders.

"Aerrow! Are you alright?" Aerrow nodded, gritting his teeth; but he couldn't hide his pain from his father so easily.

"No you're not. You need to rest." The older sky knight admonished.

"We do not have time to stop Peregrine," called Silverglow from up ahead.

"Is there no way? He won't last on these paths much longer without even a brief break." Aerrow wondered vaguely what they were talking about.

"He will not last much longer either way." The Drake replied. He paused for a moment, thinking. Then he trotted over to the two humans.

"Help him up onto my back. I will carry him from here. All the way." Silverglow's and Peregrine's eyes met briefly, as a silent exchange passed between them.

'_But you'll be trapped there forever!_' Peregrine tried to stop his friend.

'_I know. But it must be done. Besides, nothing truly lasts forever_' Peregrine saw an image of a familiar blue Dragoness flash through the Drake's mind, followed by an image of two Dragon kits; one a vibrant shade of violet, the other a light silvery blue. Peregrine understood; Silverglow wanted to see his family again. The sky knight nodded sorrowfully. Pulling Aerrow to his feet, he embraced him again.

"I'm afraid I have to leave you now. Silverglow will guide the rest of the way." Aerrow started to protest but Peregrine held up a hand to stop him. "I'll see you again, don't worry. There's a place for you among us, but not yet. You're not ready yet.

"We're proud of you Aerrow, your mother and I. Never forget that." They stared at each other for a long time.

"Peregrine! He is fading; we must leave now!" Silverglow cried urgently. Choking back his tears Aerrow hoisted himself onto the Dragon's back. "Get some rest." Silverglow urged him gently. But he had no sooner said this when Aerrow closed his eyes, leaning into the Drake's warm silver scales. He was more exhausted than he'd thought. With one final glance at Peregrine, Silverglow bolted off in the direction Piper's voice had come from.

* * *

Piper had given up. She no longer called to her friend. Silver tears rolled down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. Weaverbird stood beside her, wishing she could be of some comfort. The Dragoness turned away. 

Piper brushed away her tears, and opened her eyes. Aerrow moaned, shifting a bit. It took Piper a moment to register that her leader had moved.

"Aerrow?" she whispered. Turning towards her a bit, the sky knight opened his eyes.

"Hey Piper." He breathed weakly, flashing that familiar smile at her. Bursting into happy tears, Piper threw her arms around his neck. He winced, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Piper, you may want to loosen your grip a bit. You're suffocating him." Weaverbird called from across the room, amused. Piper pulled back, slightly embarrassed. Weaverbird shook her head and padded across the room to check on the spell they would use to draw out the Darkstone's energy. Giving it a satisfied stir, the Dragoness turned to Piper. "It's ready," she announced, "Let's end this now."

Weaverbird could swear right then she felt Silverglow brush up against her, and she gave a contented purr.

**Yay! Aerrow finally woke up! I'll probably take a break from posting tomorrow, and let my imagination recuuperate. But on the 26th I'll get right back to writing, I promise. **


	10. Chapter 10: Drawing Poison

**Hey there, my faithful readers! Just got back from a trip to my Grandparents yesterday, so I've been away from my computer for a while. But never fear, I'm back with chapter 10! On with the story!**

_**Drawing Poison**_

Piper supported Aerrow as he mentally prepared himself for what Weaverbird called 'The Drawing Process'. His bandages had been removed, exposing the dark burn on his chest. It hadn't healed at all since Aerrow had been wounded; if anything it had gotten worse. The skin around it had been stained a venomous purple-black.

Weaverbird had removed the cauldron from the smokeless fire it was simmering on, and snuffed a small tongue of flame over the surface of the liquid. A puff of silver steam issued from the draught and the Dragoness exposed her crystal to it, allowing it to absorb the power from the spell. The pulsing light in the Dragon crystal became a steady glow. Tiny orbs of blue light gathered around Weaverbird's claw-tips as she came up behind Aerrow.

"According to my book, the Darkstone's energy tends to gather along the paths where normal energy flows," Weaverbird explained, "In most cases, that's inside the vertebrae.

"Tell me where it hurts most." She instructed, lightly running her claws up and down Aerrow's spine. He winced.

"Right there." Weaverbird's talon stopped directly between Aerrow's shoulder blades. Probing the spot with her mind, the Dragon found that there was indeed a lot of dark energy knotted up there. Stepping back slightly, Weaverbird reared up onto her hind legs, using her muscular tail for support.

"I'm going to count to three. Try not to tense, however unpleasant it feels. One… Two…" But instead of continuing on to three, Weaverbird lunged, plunging her glowing talons directly into Aerrow's back.

Biting back a cry of pain and shock, the sky knight did his best not to tense every muscle in his body. As soon as Weaverbird withdrew her claws Aerrow fell back into his pillows, closing his eyes. He felt Piper's hand grasp his and he squeezed it reassuringly. Amazingly, the spot where Weaverbird's claws had entered his body seemed completely untouched.

Opening one eye a crack, Aerrow watched as Weaverbird grappled with the Darkstone's energy. The black bolts of power tried to constrict the Dragoness, but she was not so easily defeated; a puff of shimmering white flame purged the curse permanently. Aerrow closed his eye, sighed, and passed out.

* * *

Piper watched as Weaverbird fell back down on all fours, exhausted. Her crest drooped a bit, and her scales seemed a little grayer than usual. But the Dragoness smiled, satisfied.

"But you didn't even count all the way to three!" Piper exclaimed accusingly.

"Oh, I never do that. You see, everyone tenses as soon as you say 'three'. But by the time you get to two, they're generally prepared enough to handle whatever it is you're doing to them.

"Anyway," She continued, "I think I'll send for a cold drink." Weaverbird loped out, leaving Piper alone with Aerrow. Brushing his crimson hair out of his face, she gently pressed her fingers to Aerrow's injury. They came away red with some black flecks. Piper winced at the sight; she couldn't even begin to imagine how painful that burn must be.

Taking the bowl of cold water intended for Aerrow's fever, she dipped another clean cloth in it and started cleaning the wound.

* * *

"Tell me what you think of this one."

The first thing Aerrow knew when he awoke was a warbling song, the strings of a harp, and the sensation of a cold wet cloth sponging the burn on his chest. In an effort to ignore the steady throbbing of his injury, Aerrow listened to the melody.

"_Come young lark,_

_With glistening wings,_

_Strike your harp,_

_I pray thee, sing,_

_To me of loves lost long ago,_

_Of courageous heroes,_

_Of deadly foes,_

_Sing to me of deeds long done,_

_And those of now,_

_And those to come,_

_Dance with me on whirling wings,_

_Step for step, together sing,_

_Of crippled hearts, and breaking pain,_

_That wash away with summer's rain,_

_Sing to ease my tortured soul,_

_My own lost love of long ago._"

When the song ended, Piper said, "It's beautiful, but maybe too sad for the occasion."

"Mmmm… Yes, you're right. Too sad… let me think of another one then." A few indecisive notes were plucked on the harp. Aerrow's eyes fluttered open.

"Aerrow, you're awake!" Aerrow tried to answer Piper, but his throat itched and all that came out was a hacking cough. Piper offered him a glass filled with a fragrant pink liquid; Aerrow took it gratefully and swallowed some of the bittersweet drink, Piper's hand helping to steady his own. The sky knight could already feel his energy beginning to return.

"What is that stuff?" Aerrow asked, clearing his throat. It wasn't nearly so sore now.

"Rose nectar," Piper replied, "It's good, isn't it? It's not something I would drink everyday, but it's definitely nice on occasion." Aerrow nodded, looking around.

"Where are we? And where are the others, are they okay? And," he added, catching sight of Weaverbird, "Who is this?"

"First of all, we're on terra Vapos. Second, the others are here too, and they're all fine. And finally since we didn't really have time for a proper introduction," Piper continued, "This is Weaverbird. She's helped us out a lot since we crashed on her terra. If it wasn't for her… Well, let's not think about that. We've all been really worried about you." Aerrow watched his navigator for a moment. Then he saw one of her arms was in a sling.

"Your arm," He started to say, a concerned look in his green eyes.

"It's okay Aerrow; I've almost got the use of the entire thing back now." at this Aerrow started to say something, but Piper stopped him, "It happened during the battle with the Cyclonians. That crystal of Dark Ace's did more of a number on you than me anyway." Piper tried to assure him. Aerrow shifted into a more comfortable position, bringing a hand up to feel said wound as he did so. He winced, hissing through his teeth. Piper wouldn't let him out of bed for a week with this, Aerrow just knew it. The sky knight sighed dejectedly. Piper started winding a long strip of linen around Aerrow's chest. He didn't protest; he hurt too much for that.

"We'd better get ready for the welcoming feast Piper, it starts soon." Weaverbird announced from where she stood. She plucked up a blue crystal from a basket on a table and studied it inscrutably. Then the Dragoness popped it in her mouth and crunched on it.

"You _eat_ crystals?!" Piper exclaimed, wincing at the sound of teeth grinding stone.

"On occasion," Weaverbird replied coolly, "It keeps a Dragon's scales hard and healthy, as well as giving them their distinctive sheen." The Dragoness added, "Aerrow, you should get some rest. You won't be missing all that much."

"I'll bring you something later, if you're hungry." Piper said, having finished rebinding Aerrow's wounds. He nodded tiredly; the Heartsure smoke was making him drowsy. Weaverbird had decided to keep burning the little golden flowers while the sky knight recovered. She gestured at the candles that lit the room and all but one or two extinguished themselves. Picking up her harp Weaverbird followed Piper out of the room, leaving Aerrow in peace and quiet to rest.

**Hooray for Weaverbird! Now that Aerrow's going to be okay, I can get on to other aspects of the plot. Continue to review, and I'll try to update sooner! See y'all at chapter 11!**


	11. Chapter 11: the Tale of Vaporsong

**Hi everyone! wow, are you guys ever fast with your reviews! I feel so loved. :) Anyway like I promised last chapter, I would update sooner if you reviewed, and I did. This chappie doesn't necessarily have anything to do with my main plot at this point, but it contains my speculation on why the people of terra Vapos were bound to the terra with Serpegry( read chapter 7 ). Anywho, heres chapter 11. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Storm Hawks.**

_**The Tale of Vaporsong**_

Piper could hardly believe how much trouble the people of Vapos had gone to with their welcoming feast. Despite all the food that had been provided, not a scrap was left. She considered herself lucky to have been able to get anything for Aerrow for when he woke up. Piper had wrapped up a couple fruit pies in a cloth napkin, and was trying hard not to squish them.

King Agar stood and raised his hand for silence.

"Honorable Dragon," he addressed Weaverbird, "Would you care to recite the tale of our peoples, as is tradition for such a gathering?"

Bowing to their hosts, Weaverbird replied, "It would be my pleasure." She plucked a few notes on her harp before she began.

"Long ago, before the Great Quake and before the Dragons' Civil War there lived a great white Drake named Vaporsong. No one knows to this day how he got his name; the old stories say it was because no matter the weather, his breath always came out in a puff of steam.

"Like many adolescent Dragons, Vaporsong had long decided that he would travel throughout the Atmos before establishing his permanent territory. However, he never settled, for the call of the sky was too great and so he became known as a rogue. It was during this time that Vaporsong first came to this terra.

"The terra that would later become known as Vapos was far from prosperous when Vaporsong first arrived. The people suffered from terrible diseases, and were plagued by monsters far worse than any gargoyles you all know today. And not a single crop could be raised from the soil. Vaporsong saw the people of the terra living in poverty, and took pity on them. So the White Drake offered to help them, for he had a kind heart.

"'_I will give you all riches you could ever wish for and make the soil fertile for generations to come. I will heal your sick, and drive away the creatures that you fear most,'_ he said, '_On one condition. In my travels I couldn't help but notice that many of your kind have all they could ever want or need, yet they still desire more. There are wars between humans elsewhere because one has what another wants._

"_'To keep this from happening here, I will bind you, and everything originating here, to this terra. You will never be able to leave in search of more. However those in search of more will not be able to take it from you. In fact I will hide this terra so well, no one will be able to find you for thousands of years.'_ The people of the terra agreed eagerly, and so, with the help of the White Drake, they set about making their terra the richest one in the Atmos.

"It took many years of hard labor, but soon the terra enjoyed an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity. They crowned a great king who ruled justly for many years, and the terra was named Vapos in honor of the White Drake Vaporsong.

"After one full year since he first visited Vapos, Vaporsong brought many of his kin to the terra, and the two races swore to do what they could to help the other should they ask. Every year after it was tradition for a group of Dragons to return to Vapos and renew the ancient vow.

"Vaporsong lived a long and prosperous life but on his final visit to Vapos, the White Drake was shot down by a rebel youth with no respect for the ancient ways. It was then that the Dragons withdrew from the traditions of their ancestors and left Vapos for eternity." Weaverbird finished the tale.

"But as you can see, nothing lasts forever, and the Dragons have returned." King Agar announced.

"I wish I could say it were true, King Agar," Weaverbird replied wistfully, "but there are too few Dragons now. It was said that Vaporsong always brought a hundred Dragons to witness the Renewing of the Vow, but I fear that there are not even a hundred left."

"There is still hope." The king of Vapos stated simply.

"This marks the end of our celebration." Agar announced. Suddenly everyone was chattering excitedly and gathering as many dishes as they could hold. The Storm Hawks had gathered into a group, and were discussing what they would do next. They looked up as Agar and Weaverbird approached them.

"I take it you plan on departing soon." He said, looking around at each one in turn.

"As soon as Aerrow's well enough to travel, yes." Piper said apologetically.

"You know, hate to eat and run, but we've got _a lot _of stuff to do." Stork said, his eyes darting about nervously. Everyone nodded at that.

"I quite understand," Agar replied gently, "I couldn't expect the Domo to spend all of his time protecting us. But if ever you find yourself in need of assistance, we on terra Vapos will gladly give it."

* * *

Aerrow had been asleep for most of the day, trying to rest off the fever and the pain of his injury. He was awake when Weaverbird reentered the room after the feast, carrying a few small fruit pies. Setting them on the little table that rested against one wall, she padded over quietly.

"How are you feeling?" the Dragoness asked softly, resting her chin on Aerrow's forehead to see how his fever was doing. He was still burning up, but he'd cooled down considerably since she'd last checked.

"Well," Aerrow began, "my muscles ache and I can't shake off this dizziness, but that's about everything right now."

"That's probably just the after effects of the spell I used to draw out the poison; they'll most likely be gone in couple days."

Weaverbird took one of the clean cloths and dipped it in the bowl of fresh water that was sitting on the table; someone must have brought it in during the feast. She started trying to cool Aerrow's fever. The buzzing sensation in his head slowly faded to the back of his mind.

"So what happened while I was out?" Aerrow asked. Piper still hadn't filled him in yet. So Weaverbird brought him up to date on everything that had happened since she found the Storm Hawks and the wreckage of the Condor. Aerrow seemed a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to take part.

"I wonder what Master Cyclonis is planning to do with the Darkstone." Aerrow speculated the different possibilities, but couldn't think of anything that made sense. Cyclonis wouldn't use such a powerful crystal for something as petty as interrogating prisoners. And he was sure that the Dark Ace only had it so that its power could be tested. Aerrow sighed; maybe Piper could come up with something. Vaguely, Aerrow wondered if Cyclonis was going to rebuild her Storm Engine, and use the Darkstone as the power source. He resolved to discuss it with the others tomorrow.

"What I want to know," Weaverbird broke the silence, "Is how this Dark Ace got his hands on the Darkstone in the first place. It was lost over a thousand years ago; none are left alive who would remember the days when it was used. The fact that it has resurfaced is bad enough, but that the crystal is now in the hands of the enemy does not bode well at all." Aerrow had to agree; he knew first hand what it could do.

"Well then, we'll just have to get it back. Maybe even destroy it." Aerrow said resolutely.

"Not until you've healed enough to defend yourself." Weaverbird said firmly. Aerrow sighed, exasperated; the Dragoness sounded just like Piper.

"Why don't you join us?" Aerrow offered, "We're going to need someone who knows about the Darkstone if we're going to destroy it. That is, if you don't already have plans of your own." The sky knight looked at Weaverbird hopefully. She considered for a moment. What better way was there to make the world safe for her kits than by joining a sky knight's squadron? Besides that, Weaverbird knew she wouldn't be able to leave the Storm Hawks to fight alone in good conscience.

"Aerrow of the Storm Hawks," the Dragoness decided, "I accept your offer. I'll gladly travel with your squadron, and help you in your quest." Aerrow's face split into a wide grin. With a Dragon on their side, how could they possibly lose?

**Alright, there you have it! There should be some more action coming up within the next couple of chapters. Don't forget to press that cute little blue button on your way out:D**


	12. Chapter 12: Terra Saharr

**Hey everyone, it's me again! In this chappie, we're starting to get more into the main plot of the story. The Storm Hawks and Weaverbird are trying to figure out how to eradicate the Darkstone. Enjoy! **

_**Terra Saharr**_

Everything was back to normal on the Condor. '_Well almost._' Aerrow thought. They had left terra Vapos that morning after a three day stay. His wound was finally starting to heal according to Weaverbird. But not fast enough for him, and Aerrow was beginning to get impatient. The Storm Hawks still had yet to fabricate a decent plan for how to combat Cyclonia. He stood on the bridge, listening to Piper's latest idea.

"Our best bet is to destroy the crystal," Piper agreed with Aerrow there, "But according to Weaverbird, the Darkstone is immune to the effects of other crystals, so blocking crystals and leech crystals won't affect it. It's also three times harder than diamond, so I don't think you'll be able to smash it like you did with the Aurora Stone either." She sighed, drumming her fingers on the helm of the ship.

"Well until you figure something out, we should probably find the other squadrons and warn them to keep their eyes out for anything suspicious," Aerrow concluded, "What's the closest terra to our current position?"

"Terra Saharr," Piper replied, checking her various maps and charts, "It's also a major trading post for many terras, including Cyclonia. If we're lucky, we might meet up with another squadron, or get some important information about Master Cyclonis' plans for the Darkstone."

"Alright then! Stork set a course for terra Saharr." Aerrow commanded. The Merb nodded and adjusted the Condor's direction slightly.

"Terra Saharr? Is that what I heard?" Weaverbird entered the bridge. She had once again reduced her size to that of a large dog, so she would fit more comfortably in the ship. Radarr scampered in behind her just before the door closed, and leaped onto Aerrow's uninjured shoulder. The sky knight nodded.

"I know every stick and stone of that terra. Dragons were once abundant there, and there is a network of caves and tunnels that spider-web all across the terra. There are a bunch of secret exits that open directly into the wastelands, in case you need to make a quick getaway. Most are big enough to admit a standard size skimmer, and the entrances are cleverly hidden. We Dragons are the only ones who know about them, as we're the ones who built them." Weaverbird informed them.

"Do any Dragons still live there?" Aerrow asked. The last thing they needed was for a family of territorial Dragons to find them wandering the tunnels with no escape.

"One small family, but I assure you I know them quite well." The Dragoness looked at Piper pointedly, and then continued, "But just to be safe, I think only a small group should come; You, Piper and I. They won't trust anyone I don't know, and I haven't spent that much time around Junko, Finn and Stork. They'd be able to tell how well I know them." Aerrow bit his lip apprehensively; he hated to leave the rest of his squadron behind.

"Alright. Finn, Junko and Stork will stay behind on the Condor in case we need backup," He consented, "We'll stay connected to you by radio link. Let's fly."

* * *

Aerrow, Radarr, Piper and Weaverbird were preparing their sky-rides in the hangar when Stork announced that they were approaching terra Saharr. 

"Now for the finishing touch." Weaverbird said. With the aid of her crystal, she took the guise of a fourteen year-old girl with long blue hair and blue eyes. Her crystal collar resolved itself into a sapphire pendant. She wore a white linen outfit in the style of the Saharran citizens. "What do you think?" Weaverbird asked, spreading her arms so they could see her new form clearly.

"Not bad," Piper commented, "But you still have wings and a tail." Weaverbird craned her neck to look behind herself and cursed in Dragon-speak. Thinking for a moment, she curled her tail around her waist so it looked like a belt. Then she hooked her wing-thumbs together and folded her wings so they fell over her back like a cape.

Turning back to her companions, Weaverbird commented, "Figures I can't fully shift into a creature with only four limbs instead of six. Anyway, I'd better shorten my name to Weaver for the time being. Weaverbird is a bit conspicuous for a human." She picked up her harp and hung it over her shoulder by a strap of leather.

"What's that for?" Aerrow asked. He didn't want anything slowing them down if they needed to escape.

"Could come in handy in the tunnels." Weaver replied. No matter how hard they pressed her, the Dragoness would say nothing more on the subject.

* * *

"I'd forgotten how busy it gets here." Weaver commented as she, Piper and Aerrow entered the marketplace square. They had agreed to leave Radarr on the Condor; he was just too conspicuous for this kind of recon mission. They needed to blend in, and even Aerrow had to admit, Radarr would attract too much attention. 

"Just try to act natural, and keep your eyes out for anyone we know." Aerrow instructed. So the trio wandered through the marketplace, watching for other sky knights (and Talons), and pretending to be interested in what the merchants were selling. It wasn't long before they spotted someone.

"There's Blister of the Third Degree Burners!" Aerrow called.

"I've got a visual on Starling!" Piper replied, pointing at a crystals stall on the far side of the 'street' they were on.

"Two already? We're on a roll today." Weaver remarked dryly.

"Come on, we've got to get them alone so we can warn them. Piper, you go get Starling and meet us behind that rock," Aerrow indicated a large rock formation on the outskirts of the market, "Make sure you aren't followed." So they split up, Weaver and Aerrow hurried to the stall where Blister was haggling over some spare skimmer parts. Just as he was turning to leave, Aerrow tapped him on the shoulder. Blister turned caught sight of Aerrow.

"Aerrow! Welcome back to terra Saharr! Is this your girlfriend?" He indicated Weaver and gave a great echoing laugh.

"Hardly," Aerrow replied flatly, "We've got some information for you. It's really important. Follow me, we don't want to be overheard." Blister gave him a puzzled look but followed anyway. Piper and Starling met them at their rendezvous point a few minutes later.

"What is it you wanted to tell us?" Starling asked, all business.

"Cyclonis has a new crystal, and it's extremely powerful. We don't know its full capabilities yet, but we can guess based on what we do know; it could spell the end of Atmos as we know it. We have to find and destroy it." Piper informed them. Blister and Starling exchanged dark looks.

"The Cyclonians have been pretty quiet lately, but I thought it was because of the last defeat they suffered at our hands." Blister said.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Starling asked the two Storm Hawks. Aerrow removed his shirt and the bandages underneath, exposing the still-black burn on his chest. The other sky knights stared at it in shock.

"Dead sure." He replied darkly. Piper walked up to stand beside him.

"The last time we saw it, it was in the hands of the Dark Ace. There's no telling where it is now. Weaver is the only one who knows anything about the Darkstone," Piper introduced their new friend, "But we still haven't found a way to destroy it yet." Piper went on to fill them in on everything they had learned about the Darkstone.

"We don't have much of an advantage then." Starling said when Piper had finished.

"Sounds to me like don't have an advantage at all." Replied Blister.

"Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Aerrow replied. The other sky knights were about to reply when Weaver interrupted.

"We were seen. There's a group of well-armed Talons on their way here right now. We'll have to split up to avoid them, and we don't have time for sentimental goodbyes. Just get to your skimmers and leave as quickly as possible." Starling and Blister didn't ask how Weaver knew this, but something told them she was right.

"Good luck." Starling called as she sprinted off.

"We'll let you know if we learn anything else." Blister added as he left.

When they were sure the others were far enough away, Aerrow, Piper, and Weaver dashed off in the direction of their rides.

**Uh-oh, cliffhanger! You guys are gonna maul me for the next chapter. :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Family Reunion

**Hi everyone, here's chappie 13! You can prob'ly guess what happens in this chapter from the title, so no need for any of my ramblings! On with the story!**

_**Family Reunion**_

Aerrow, Piper and Weaver sped across the rocky ground of terra Saharr, trying to evade the Talons that followed them. Looking around from her spot behind Piper, Weaver suddenly recognized a few landmarks.

"Pull ahead of Aerrow, and signal him to follow us," Weaver shouted over the wind and the heliscooter's engine, "there's an entrance to a tunnel nearby. When I tell you, skid left!"

"Skid?!" Piper shouted back.

"It'll kick up a cloud of dust that we can escape in!" Weaver replied. Piper nodded and pulled ahead, indicating to Aerrow that he should follow. He gave her a thumb's up to show he understood.

"Now!" Weaver yelled, and Piper braked, pulling into a hard right turn and skidded left. It was a move Aerrow had shown her when they had just reformed the Storm Hawks.

"Might come in handy." He had said. _Well,_ Piper thought to herself, _He was right._ Aerrow mimicked her, and disappeared into the big cloud of dust Piper had kicked up. When it finally settled, the Talons could find no sign of their quarry.

* * *

Aerrow, Piper and Weaver pulled up in front of a huge cliff face. Weaver leaped off Piper's heliscooter and resumed her Dragon form, tuning her harp as she did so. She gave a long whistle, and some crystals embedded in the cliff gave a brief glow. A strange tune issued from the crystals and when it stopped, Weaverbird plucked a series of notes on her harp. Aerrow and Piper exchanged perplexed looks. A large boulder rolled away from the wall, exposing a large cave in the cliff.

"I told you the harp would come in handy in the tunnels." Weaverbird said smugly. The Dragoness entered the tunnel, Aerrow and Piper close behind. When they were all safely inside, Weaverbird gave another shorter whistle and the boulder rolled back into place, sealing the entrance.

The cave was pitch black; the only light came from Weaverbird's crystal. Aerrow wished he had time to fix the headlight on his skimmer; from the look on her face, Piper was thinking the same thing. Aerrow drew one of his energy blades and activated it, spreading an eerie blue light through the cave. Reaching around with one hand, he stuck it in Radarr's cockpit.

"This place is really creepy," Piper broke the silence, "I bet Stork would love it here." They all shared a brief laugh at that.

After what seemed like hours of 'spelunking' as Piper called it, Weaverbird stopped abruptly. Aerrow and Piper tried to pull up beside the Dragoness, but she held her wings out in front of them and they stopped. She appeared to be listening intently, but before Aerrow could ask what was wrong a large white blur bowled Weaverbird over. They rolled back down the tunnel in the direction the trio had come from, snarling and hissing. Suddenly everything was quiet. Aerrow and Piper rushed to their friend's aid.

A white Dragoness had Weaverbird pinned down, but she didn't strike. The two Dragons stared at each other for a while before speaking.

"Weaverbird?" gasped the White.

"Hullo Icetalon." The Blue replied with a purr. The Dragon called Icetalon scrambled off of Weaverbird. She rolled over onto her paws. Icetalon caught sight of the Blue's two companions, and dropped into a fighting stance.

"They're friends, Icetalon; they mean no harm," Weaverbird assured her, "Aerrow, Piper, this is Icetalon, my sister." Icetalon slowly eased out of her defensive stance and nodded stiffly at the two humans. Aerrow could feel a tendril of thought emanating from the white Dragoness; he realized she was probing his mind for any hint of hostility. Finding none, Icetalon withdrew from Aerrow's mind and he breathed a sigh of relief. Now he knew what Weaverbird meant by Dragons being able to tell how well she knew them. Aerrow heard Piper give a tiny gasp of discomfort; Icetalon must have probed her mind as well.

"I didn't realize you would be visiting, Weaverbird; isn't it customary to plan ahead for a visit?" Icetalon asked wryly. Weaverbird grinned sheepishly at her sister.

"We were in the area and thought we'd stop by." She joked.

"Why don't you come down to my lair? It's not far, and I'm sure our family won't mind seeing you again after ten years." Weaverbird nodded ecstatically and they followed Icetalon through the tunnels.

"I wonder what's up with Weaverbird. I haven't known her that long, but I've never seen her this excited before." Aerrow whispered to Piper.

"Well, she hadn't left her terra for over ten years when we met her. I'd be excited too if I got to see my family again after ten years." Piper replied. Aerrow nodded; she had a point. The two Dragons were deep in conversation; the two humans seemed almost forgotten. Piper hoped fervently that they were almost there; she was starting to cramp up from sitting on her heliscooter for so long.

"Here we are!" Icetalon said brightly; they had stopped at a dead end. She whistled a long warbling note and a hidden door opened in the rock. Icetalon, Weaverbird, Aerrow and Piper slid through it into a spacious cavern lit by yellow crystals. Weaverbird didn't even get a good look at her sister's lair before two little blurs collided with her.

"MOMMA!" The cave echoed with the delighted shriek. Piper had to smile warmly as the two little Dragon kits sped up to their mother, tripping over their overlarge wings and paws as they went. She looked at Aerrow, wanting to see his reaction; he seemed really shocked at first, but a tiny smile was creeping onto the red head's face.

One of the kits, a female, was bright violet with white claws and two tiny stubs of horns poking through her head. The other, the male, was a light silvery blue with slightly longer horns. He was slightly larger than his sister. They both had brown eyes, long ungainly wings, and paws the size of dinner plates. They were about the size of a large dog or small pony. Despite their rather disproportionate bodies, Piper had to admit they were really cute.

"Oh, Brightpearl, Swiftsilver, look at you two! You're getting so big!" Weaverbird gamboled with her kits on the cave floor, overjoyed to see them. The last time she'd seen them, they'd been no bigger than a large housecat, and still learning to walk. Weaverbird had missed them so much that the pain was almost physical. Swiftsilver suddenly sat down on the stone floor and looked his mother in the eye.

"Why did you leave us for so long? Are you going to stay now?" The jaded look in his eyes was impossible to miss, and Weaverbird was overcome by a rush of guilt. Brightpearl looked at her mother; she wanted to know as much as her brother why they had been raised by their aunt Icetalon.

"I had no choice, you were in danger. You still are. When the danger's passed I'll come find you and we'll live together, I promise. I wish I could stay, but there are some things I need to sort out first." It was a feeble promise, she knew, but it seemed enough for Brightpearl and Swiftsilver. Then they caught sight of Aerrow and Piper and crowded around them, eyes wide with curiosity. Swiftsilver reared up on his haunches so he could look Aerrow in the eye. He fearlessly flicked his forked tongue at the sky knight, studying his scent.

"Humans!" He finally concluded, "I thought humans were dangerous?" Swiftsilver looked at Icetalon inquisitively.

"They can be, but I think we can agree that your mother has strange friends." Was the Dragoness' reply. Swiftsilver purred in amusement. Aerrow had to admit it; he liked this Drakeling's attitude. They were a lot alike. Brightpearl snuffled in Piper's ear and she giggled. Being ticklish didn't help much.

Weaverbird and Icetalon left Aerrow and Piper to play with the kits. As much as Weaverbird had missed them, she still had a lot of catching up to do with her sister.

* * *

After a few hours of visiting, the Dragons said their goodbyes. Swiftsilver and Brightpearl begged their mother to stay with them, but she firmly refused.

"I have a lot of promises to fulfill, but I will come back for you someday. We'll be a family again." She said, nuzzling them gently.

"Forever?" Brightpearl asked plaintively. Weaverbird ruffled the crest on her daughter's head.

"Forever," the Blue promised, "Be good for aunt Icetalon, won't you?" The two kits nodded solemnly. Weaverbird embraced them in her wings one last time, fighting to keep the tears out of her eyes. Then she gave an equally affectionate farewell to her sister before continuing on down the tunnel to an exit hole.

"They're really cute." Piper commented.

"I know." Weaverbird replied. She couldn't help but smile.

**Aaaw, how cute was that? brushes away tear Stay tuned for chapter 14. The more you review, the faster I'll try to update. I'll still update even if you don't review, but if you review I'll try to write faster. Hint hint :D**


	14. Chapter 14: Rescue Mission

**Hey everbody, we're back! I've really got nothin' to say about this chapter, so enjoy!**

_**Rescue Mission**_

The Storm Hawks stood around their conference table sifting through various maps and charts, trying to decide where to go next. They'd warned a couple more squadrons since they'd left terra Saharr.

"We should probably hit terra Rex next," Piper suggested, "The Rex Guardians were hit pretty hard when the Cyclonians tried to invade. They need to be prepared if the Dark Ace shows up with the Darkstone."

"Those Rex Guardians are so stuffy they'd even clog a Dragon's nostrils." Weaverbird remarked disdainfully. Finn nodded in agreement. Piper just shrugged. Aerrow was about to reply when the proximity alarm went off, making them jump.

"We've got something about the size of a skimmer approaching from the south." Stork called over the intercom.

"Can you tell who it is?" Aerrow asked apprehensively.

"Nuh-uh. But it's flying kind of erratically, like it's broken or something."

"Open the hangar doors. We won't deny help to them, even it's a Cyclonian." Aerrow commanded. Not long after he said this, a loud crash came from the hangar bay. The Storm Hawks rushed over to see if they could help. Weaverbird got there first.

"Icetalon!" She cried in shock. Weaverbird's sister didn't reply; she was in a dead faint. Piper and Aerrow exchanged brief glances; if Icetalon had left her sister's kits alone to find them so far away it didn't bode well for them.

"Finn, get some water for her, she's completely exhausted." Weaverbird started to take charge. Healing was what she did for a living these days it seemed. But Weaverbird had no problem with that. She eased Icetalon into a more comfortable position, feeling for broken bones. There wasn't any, but Weaverbird thought her sister might have sprained her wing. Finn came back with a bowl of cold water. Icetalon's eyes fluttered open when the bowl was pressed to her lips. She took several long draughts before trying to sit up; Weaverbird gently forced her back down.

"Tell me what happened." She urged Icetalon. She took a few deep breaths before starting.

"Weaverbird I'm so sorry! I must have fallen asleep and they left looking for you or something…" She trailed off with a cough, and took another long drink.

"I looked for them everywhere even the wastelands, but I couldn't find them!"

"Try to relax and start over." Weaverbird said softly.

"Swiftsilver and Brightpearl, They're gone! I searched the entire terra, but there's sign of them anywhere!" A shocked silence filled the hangar. Weaverbird felt as though she'd been frozen in her place. Aerrow's wound twinged involuntarily and he winced, bringing his hand up to it. Piper saw the action.

"Aerrow, are you okay?" she asked concernedly.

"I think I know where they are," he replied, "Dark Ace took them to Cyclonia."

* * *

"So here's the plan," Aerrow began. They stood around the conference table yet again but this time, Icetalon stood with them. Her sprained wing was bound and Radarr pressed an ice pack to it, "Stork will wait with Icetalon and the Condor at hatch thirty-four. We'll use the air vent system to escape like we did the first time we infiltrated Cyclonia. Piper, Finn, Junko, Weaverbird, Radarr and I will split up into groups to search the dungeons for Brightpearl and Swiftsilver. When one group finds them radio the others and find a way to break the kits out. We'll meet up with Stork and Icetalon at the rendezvous point. Try to stay out of sight for as long as you can."

"At least it's more straightforward than Piper's plans usually are." Finn remarked. Piper elbowed him in the ribs. Aerrow shook his head exasperatedly; those two just couldn't get along.

"Come on," Aerrow said, hoping to sidestep a potential fight, "Let's go get our skimmers ready. Piper, you'd better go help Stork with navigation." She nodded, shooting a glare at Finn. She'd get him back eventually, but right now they had a rescue mission to take care of.

"Kind of like a big, mismatched family, aren't they?" Icetalon remarked dryly. Weaverbird purred in agreement.

* * *

They had split into three groups. Stork and Icetalon remained on the Condor, Weaverbird, Finn, and Junko covered the northern and eastern sides of the terra, and Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr covered the southern and eastern sides. 

"You'd think people would have learned to recognize you by now," Piper whispered to Aerrow, "You always wear the same janitor outfit every time we go on a stealth mission." He just grinned back at her.

"Apparently, they haven't learned yet so it's still good." He replied.

"All you need now to complete the look is a mop." Piper replied sarcastically. Aerrow chuckled. They continued searching each cell; almost all of them were empty.

"We can't just leave the other prisoners here." Aerrow broke the silence. Piper turned to look at him. She knew it was supposed to be a stealth mission and they were only supposed to retrieve Weaverbird's kits, but she couldn't help but agree with her leader. It was always times like this that their morality got the best of them. Aerrow peered inside yet another cell.

"I found them!" he called to Piper. Swiftsilver's ears perked up when he recognized Aerrow's voice. He scurried to the cell's door and peered through the bars. Aerrow examined the hinges on the door.

"I guess your little hunch was right." Piper said, more to herself than to Aerrow.

"I think if we were to use some sort of leaver, we could lift the door free of the hinges." Aerrow told Piper. He cast around for something he could use, and spotted a bench where a guard could sit and keep watch on the prisoners. "Help me with this." He said, and with Piper's help, he wedged the end of the bench under the lower bars of the door.

"Stand back!" Aerrow called to the kits, and he leaned all of his weight on the other end of the bench. The door lifted free with a loud metallic screech, and clattered to the floor. There was no possible way someone couldn't have heard that. Aerrow gripped his shoulder, breathing heavily as the kits scampered out. The burn on his chest throbbed incessantly; he thought he may have strained it with the effort. Swiftsilver snuffled in Aerrow's ear gratefully, and Piper supported him as he tried to steady himself.

"We've got Swiftsilver and Brightpearl!" Piper radioed the others, "You guys get out of there as quick as you can!"

"We hoped you guys would find them; there's absolutely no one here!" Finn replied, "See you on the Condor. Finn out." There was a crackle and then silence.

"I wonder where all the prisoners could be?" Piper mused thoughtfully.

"They're probably all being held on terra Zartacla." Aerrow replied, rubbing his injured shoulder, "Let's break out as many of the other prisoners as we can and get out of here."

"We can help!" Brightpearl said enthusiastically, rustling her oversized wings.

"We might be small Dragons," Swiftsilver added, "But we're really strong." He stood on his hind legs and dragged the bench back to its original position as though to prove it to their rescuers. Piper looked at Aerrow and he nodded, the daring gleam coming back into his eyes.

The foursome made their way through the dungeons as quickly as they could, freeing every prisoner they found. Aerrow helped Swiftsilver and Brightpearl position the various objects they used as levers, and pressed down on them so the two Dragons could catch the doors as they fell.

"Okay, I think we've got everybody." Piper said, doing a head count. When Aerrow didn't reply, Piper turned to see what was wrong. He was leaning against the wall, panting and rubbing his left shoulder. He looked really strained, though he tried to hide it; he didn't want Piper to worry about him;_ 'Fat chance,'_ she thought. Aerrow was never good at hiding things from her. "Are you okay?" She asked. He nodded.

"I just need to rest a minute." He breathed, sliding down into a sitting position and closing his eyes for a brief moment.

"You'll have plenty of time to rest in your prison cell. _If_ you surrender." Aerrow's eyes flew open, and Piper gasped in recognition. The Dark Ace emerged from the shadows, his blade crackling a malevolent shade of black.

**Oh, another cliff-hanger. There will be lots of action in the next chappie. Yay, action!**


	15. Chapter 15: Escape

**Hi I'm back! Here's chapter 15, so On with... Oh, you know the drill. ;)**

**I don't own Storm Hawks. :( **

_**Escape**_

Aerrow was on his feet in a flash, his energy blades drawn. Trying to ignore the pain building in his chest, he turned to Piper.

"Get everyone out, I'll hold him off!" Piper started to protest, but Aerrow wouldn't hear any of it, "Just go, I'll find my own way out. Take the people we freed and get to the Condor. I'll be fine!" Piper nodded reluctantly and started herding everyone towards the exit _'At least, I hope I'll be fine.'_ Aerrow thought to himself. He turned back to the Dark Ace, and barely had time to dodge a blast of energy fired his way.

Ignoring the steady throbbing of his injury, Aerrow struck, praying his strength would hold out on him long enough to win and escape. The Dark Ace parried the blow skillfully, repelling Aerrow as if he were nothing more than a fly. The sky knight staggered backwards and rolled out the way of another attack. He kept his green eyes trained on the Dark Ace's red ones, trying to catch his breath.

"So you were lucky enough to survive," Dark Ace taunted, seeing his enemy's weakness, "But luck won't always be there to save you, Aerrow. If your father had realized that, he might still be here." Aerrow narrowed his eyes in anger, but never let his guard down. Deep in his heart he knew Dark Ace was right, but that didn't matter at the moment.

The two enemies circled each other, looking for an opening to strike. Aerrow knew he had to finish this as quickly as possible; he could feel his strength rapidly ebbing away. He wavered for a moment, fighting off a wave of agony. The pain of his injury had continued to increase and Aerrow wasn't sure how much longer he could last like this. The Dark Ace saw his chance and lashed forward with his blade, losing a blast of pure power at his nemesis.

A furious roar filled the Dark Ace's ears as he fired. An enormous blue creature flashed past him. Weaverbird swept Aerrow close to her with her wings, protecting him. The blast of energy dissipated over the plated scales on her back, leaving nothing more than an ashy black mark.

"What are you doing here?!" Aerrow shouted, his voice muffled by Weaverbird's wings. She grinned at him.

"What, aren't you happy to see me?" She called back. Aerrow was about to reply, but all that came out was a strangled cry of pain. His chest seemed on fire now, and only getting worse. He brought his hand up to it, trembling slightly. Weaverbird looked at Aerrow concernedly; he was lucky she had shown up when she did. Behind her, Weaverbird could hear Dark Ace getting ready to fire again. "Get behind me." She ordered grimly. Aerrow was about to refuse, to offer his help, but Weaverbird nudged him backwards and he toppled over.

"You've done what you can; let me take it from here." The Dragoness reasoned. Another wave of pain broke over Aerrow, preventing him from protesting again

A blast of flame from her mouth deflected a deadly blow. Weaverbird lashed her powerful tail and took a fighting stance. Aerrow backed away discreetly; he hated not being able to help, but there was nothing more he could do at the moment.

"I suggest you back off," Weaverbird hissed softly, "You really don't want to fight me. You know you won't win." Dark Ace smirked, his red eyes glinting in the dim lighting of the Cyclonian dungeons.

"Oh, but I love a challenge." He replied. Every line of the Cyclonian's body dared Weaverbird to make the first move. She roared defiantly, her wings extended. A long tongue of flame lit the dank walls; Dark Ace sidestepped lightly, his uniform singed slightly. He in turn struck out with his blade; Weaverbird deftly parried with the isoscele of her tail. It didn't look it, but the triangular bone was as sharp as any sword, and the tail it was attached to extremely quick. The Dark Ace barely managed to escape any damage, but the isoscele still left a long but shallow gash across his torso.

"Still think you can kill me?" Weaverbird snarled, the blade on her tail stained with her enemy's blood "You may have destroyed the old Storm Hawks, but I won't go down so easily, _Ace_." The Dark Ace could only snarl in defiance. "Do you feel _any_ guilt at all?" the Dragoness continued scathingly, "They were your _friends_! They cared for you when no one else would, and then you turned around and literally stabbed them in the back!" Aerrow could hardly believe what he was hearing; the Dark Ace had been a Storm Hawk? It couldn't be true. But how could Weaverbird have known this?

"_Enough!_" Weaverbird fanned away yet another blast of energy from the Darkstone powered blade. In his haste he failed to block his opponent's next strike; the flat of Weaverbird's isoscele collided with his temple and he fell to the ground, out cold. Weaverbird turned back to Aerrow, who forced himself to stand unsteadily. The pain in his chest was slowly beginning to fade, but it still burned unpleasantly. He leaned against the wall for support, and gazed searchingly into the Dragoness' eyes. Weaverbird could tell he wanted answers, but first they needed to get off of this infernal terra.

She crouched down low, and Aerrow swung himself up onto the Dragon's back. Once he was seated comfortably just in front of her wing joints Weaverbird raced off, looking for an outlet to the sky.

They burst out of the dungeons (much to the surprise of several Talons) and continued on, Aerrow clinging to Weaverbird's neck for dear life. It wasn't that she was very fast, it was her loping gait; Aerrow couldn't help but feel he was about to fall off.

They finally found themselves at the edge of the terra. Aerrow glanced behind them; several Talons were coming after them.

"We've got four or five Talons on our tail!" He called to Weaverbird. He hardly needed to worry, because at that very instant the Dragoness sprang into the wastelands.

The wind rushed in their ears as they plummeted through the cloud layer, but Weaverbird still didn't open her wings; Aerrow hoped she knew what she was doing. At the last possible second, Weaverbird opened her wings and with a few practiced strokes, gained a substantial amount of altitude. Aerrow breathed a sigh of relief and grinned; that was exhilarating. They streaked back through the clouds, the water vapor glistening on their armor and scales. Aerrow couldn't help noticing that a few of the plates on Weaverbird's back were scorched.

"Doesn't that hurt you at all?" He asked. Weaverbird shook her head.

"That's what scales are for, you know. They've protected me quite well in the past." She replied simply. Aerrow shook his head, perplexed. The Dragoness seemed almost untouchable at times. "What about you?" Weaverbird asked, glancing backwards at him. Aerrow rubbed his left shoulder; since the fight, the worst of the throbbing had subsided. His wound still burned dully, however, and he was exhausted.

"It was worse back on Cyclonia; it's not as bad now." Aerrow replied. Weaverbird spared him another glance and nodded thoughtfully. Aerrow felt he couldn't stay awake any longer. Leaning into the Dragon's scales he closed his eyes and let sleep take him. He didn't even wake up when Weaverbird came to rest on a small uncharted terra.

**Well there you have it! Please review, and thanks for reading! Bye:)**


	16. Chapter 16: Questions and Answers

**Hello, I'm back with chapter 16! I won't be able to update as often when school starts again (Especially when exams stat), so I _might_ be able to have chapter 17 up tomorrow, if I can think of anything. Suggestions are welcome, as my plotbunny ran away from home when I finished this chapter.**

_**Questions and Answers**_

The first thing Aerrow knew when he awoke was in a dark room, his room, and a cold damp towel resting on his bare chest. Starlight filtered in through his window. A freezer crystal glowed a dim icy blue on top of the towel, keeping the moisture in it freezing cold; it had helped to numb the injury quite well.

Aerrow lifted the towel a bit to get a good look at the wound. It was inflamed around the edges. He winced when he pressed a couple fingers to it. Blood seeped out around the edges a bit. He must have stretched it somewhat when he was freeing the prisoners of Cyclonia. He sat up and looked around.

His room was a mess, as usual. His armor was piled near the door, and his weapons were placed on his desk. He wondered groggily how he got here. Aerrow glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was 1:00 in the morning. Everyone would be asleep; it was the perfect time to enjoy the night air and sort out the jumble of thoughts in his head without being disturbed. Aerrow stood and stretched gently, so as to not aggravate his injury further. He didn't bother to throw on a shirt; he would be alone, and would return to his room shortly.

Aerrow stepped out onto the Condor's runway, savoring the cool breeze on his face. The moon was full, and the skies clear. He gazed up at the stars, picking out a few familiar constellations.

"You're up late." A voice from behind him remarked dryly. Aerrow tensed and spun around, only to relax when he saw it was Weaverbird.

"I was going to say the same about you." He replied with a smile. He hadn't even heard her approach, she was so quiet. Aerrow sat on the edge of the runway, dangling his legs over the side. Weaverbird settled herself beside him.

"You knew my father, didn't you?" Aerrow asked Weaverbird. He didn't know what prompted him to ask; he just sort of blurted it out. She turned to look at him, her eyes sad.

"I knew him," Weaverbird replied. Her voice shook slightly, "The Condor has crashed on my terra more than once." Aerrow looked at the Dragoness disbelievingly, but she nodded in affirmation.

"The ship crashed in my terra during a storm. There are a lot of storms above terra Draknor, what with the mountains and all. Your father went out with a few of his team for a recon mission, and they found me," She reared up and revealed a long white scar that ran from the base of her neck to the inside of one foreleg, "I was gravely wounded in battle. I have been hunting a certain villainous Drake for some time, but that is another story. Your father took me in and tended my wounds, despite the warnings of his teammates.

"He saved my life, so I owed him mine; I vowed to help in any way I could. We became fast friends. He talked about you all the time you know; you were only three at the time. The Dark Ace, just Ace then, was Peregrine's co-pilot, but deep down there was always a bitter resentment or perhaps jealousy of him that Ace harbored. I never figured out which.

"When I caught wind of Ace's plan to betray his team, I raced to warn them. But I arrived only moments too late. I could only watch from afar as the Dark Ace plunged his blade into Peregrine's heart." She finished the story, a few tears rolled down the Dragoness' face. She handed Aerrow a small photograph, and he took it. It showed him, only three years old, and his father and mother walking along a beach, collecting shells. He smiled sadly, trying to remember.

"I found that in the Condor's wreckage. Your father showed it to me the day he left my terra. I buried them on a small terra not far from where they fell. I hope they were the last friends I ever have to bury. My mate is buried not far from them." Weaverbird drew a shaky breath, and the two of them sat together in silence for a moment, simply remembering.

"I wonder what possessed the Dark Ace to do something so terrible." Aerrow broke the silence.

"A promise of power and glory is the most likely thing. We may never know unless he decides to tell us, which, judging by our warm reception at Cyclonia, isn't likely to happen." Aerrow chuckled bitterly; Weaverbird was probably right. He had to wonder though; did the Dark Ace truly feel no guilt at all? Even a little? Ordinarily he would say no, the Dark Ace couldn't feel any guilt, but after his reaction to Weaverbird's taunts.

There was an old saying that you should know your enemy as well as you know your friend, but Aerrow wasn't sure if he did anymore; dehumanizing the Dark Ace wasn't really helping him understand his enemy any better. But he couldn't help but wonder sometimes; was the Dark Ace as evil and heartless as he made himself out to be? Aerrow shook his head. Such questions would only give him a headache.

"What happened to the people we rescued?" Aerrow asked, changing the subject.

"We took them to terra Atmosia for medical treatment. Some of them were in pretty rough shape. We'll take Icetalon, Brightpearl and Swiftsilver back to terra Saharr tomorrow." Aerrow nodded. Piper took charge very well when he couldn't, and she'd had to a lot lately. He felt guilty for not being able to help more.

"It's not your fault, it could have happened to anyone." Weaverbird must have caught on to his emotions, "Would you rather it had been one of your friends?" Weaverbird gave him a sidelong glance. Aerrow shook his head vigorously. If one of his friends had been hurt as badly as him, he would never forgive himself. Even if it wasn't his fault. He was responsible for his team, after all. Now that Weaverbird mentioned it, Aerrow was glad it was him and not one of friends.

"I noticed this burn seems to hurt more when the Dark Ace is around," Aerrow observed, "Why would that be?"

"Well, it would seem that another property of the Darkstone is it puts a remember on the wounds inflicted by it," Weaverbird turned to look at Aerrow, "That essentially means it will remember who injured you, and it will act up whenever they are in the vicinity. that's generally a radius of about ten miles. I suppose you could call it a blessing and a curse." She explained. Aerrow nodded; it would be useful to know when Dark Ace was around, but Aerrow couldn't help remembering how it had incapacitated him during the fight. That could be a problem, but he'd find a way around it tomorrow.

Aerrow stood up and stretched lightly, feeling his muscles loosen. Weaverbird joined him, giving a great catlike yawn.

"See you tomorrow." The Dragoness called from her little corner of the hangar bay.

"'Night." Aerrow called back sleepily. He had been right; going out for some fresh air had helped him sort out his thoughts quite nicely.

**There, Aerrow and Weaverbird had some decent bonding time and we learned even more about Weaverbird's background. Like I said before, suggestions are welcome just PM me or Review. Thank-you: )**


	17. Chapter 17: Making the Rounds

**Sorry it took so long to get this up, my plotbunny finally came back today! Yay!**

**Nakedmolerat05, Wow! I can hardly believe you love my fic so much! Thanks!**

_**Making the Rounds**_

Aerrow cast his green gaze over the bridge. Icetalon, Swiftsilver and Brightpearl had been returned to terra Saharr the day before, and the Storm Hawks were getting back into their regular routine. Again.

Piper and Weaverbird were in the former's lab, trying to figure out the Darkstone's weaknesses. Junko, Finn and Radarr were inspecting the engine room. Stork had put the Condor on autopilot, and was reading his book, _1001 Terrible Afflictions and the Hopeless Means of Fighting Them_. The Merb had taken to carrying the book around, although it was nearly out of man-eating ninny repellent.

"What's our status?" Aerrow asked Stork.The Merb glanced up from his book, and checked all of the Condor's controls.

"Everything's working normally for once," Stork replied, "And there's no sign of any Cyclonians. Yet. But let's not forget the other creatures that can sneak up on a ship without warning. Even in broad daylight."

"Like what?" Aerrow asked, and immediately regretted it.

"Phoenixes, the Leviathan, Razor-Beaked Sparrows, Sky sharks. Need I go on?" Stork gave a maniacal grin. Aerrow shook his head vigorously.

Breathing an almost inaudible sigh of relief, Aerrow decided to check up on Junko, Finn and Radarr. Radarr was about to bang something with a wrench when Aerrow walked in. The sky monkey was covered in grease from the engine.

"How's it goin' Radarr?" Aerrow asked. Radarr gave his friend a thumbs-up and a smile. Aerrow grinned back, and set off in search of Junko and Finn. They were looking over some obscure part that did who knows what. Aerrow was never good at mechanics, but that was why he had Junko and Radarr.

"Everything working okay?" Aerrow asked.

"Yeah, everything seems to be working right for a change. I bet Stork is happy." Junko replied cheerily, casting his grey gaze around the engine room. Finn peered out from behind the part they were working on.

"We've got this down nooo problem." Finn said breezily, leaning against the mechanism. He slipped on a puddle of oil, and fell on his face, his uniform covered in it. Aerrow laughed, and headed out to check on Piper and Weaverbird. They were in Piper's crystal lab, muttering over various notes and crystal scopes.

"Hey," Aerrow alerted them to his presence, "Finding anything?" Piper looked up, startled.

"Hi, Aerrow," She greeted him, "Well Weaverbird has a theory that the Dragons who fabricated the Darkstone would want it be similar to a particularly powerful Dragon crystal. That means it would be immune to the effects of other crystals, and extremely hard." Aerrow nodded; they already knew that.

"So how would you destroy it?" Aerrow inquired. Weaverbird turned to face him.

"The only known way to destroy a Dragon crystal is to destroy the Dragon it belongs to." The Dragoness stated bluntly. Aerrow grimaced; that wasn't much help. The Darkstone wasn't a Dragon crystal, it was only similar.

"If we can find something that affects Weaverbird's crystal, then we can assume that it will affect the Darkstone the same way." Piper said happily. It wasn't much, but at least it was something. Piper was happy with any little bit of progress she could make.

"Got any ideas yet?" Aerrow asked; he was eager for any chance to rid the Atmos of such an abomination as the Darkstone. Piper shook her head disappointingly. Aerrow sighed dejectedly; it seemed like no matter what they came up with, the Darkstone was immune to everything. Weaverbird thought for a moment.

"Now that I think on it," She said an idea starting to form, "It might react to extreme heat." Piper and Aerrow stared at the Dragoness, waiting for Weaverbird to elaborate.

"You see, whenever my people fabricate crystals, they tend to be rather flimsy in extreme heat and pressure," Weaverbird continued, "It's a glitch that we've never been able to work out. So if we were to drop it in, say a volcano, the Darkstone should become unstable and therefore easier to destroy. However, if you plan to destroy it in one blow, you'd have to bury it in the core of the planet. It's not nearly as flimsy as a regular crystal." Weaverbird pulled her ancient book of crystals off of Piper's desk and flipped through the pages.

"So all we'd have to do is swipe it, then drop into a pit of molten lava?" Aerrow concluded, "No sweat."

"Not quite. According to my book, the only one who can destroy the crystal is one who has felt its sting." There was silence for a moment, then Weaverbird continued, "So far as we know, Aerrow is the only one alive who has been wounded by the Darkstone. All the others have long since died; there isn't anyone left who remember the days it first was used." Piper bit her lip; that could make things problematic. Weaverbird continued, addressing Aerrow directly.

"Aerrow, you would have to journey deep into the heart of a volcano; the magma that is exposed to the outside world simply isn't hot enough. But humans aren't built to withstand such temperatures. You would need a protective suit so thick that you wouldn't be able to move."

"Well then what are supposed to do?" Aerrow asked exasperatedly; this mission was getting more impossible by the second.

"Well, there are creatures, cousins of my people in fact, who could help you. But the Wyrms are extremely distrustful. Not to mention they live in the wastelands; there's almost no way to reach them. The thick slime that coats their bodies protects them from the molten lava, and their scales are reinforced with iron." Aerrow nodded thoughtfully. If they could persuade these Wyrms to help, this mission wouldn't be so impossible.

"Where in the Wastelands are they, exactly?" Aerrow asked. Piper looked at him incredulously.

"You can't seriously be going through with this?" She yelped. Aerrow's green eyes met Piper's amber ones.

"I haven't got a choice, have I?" the sky knight replied softly. "Who knows what Cyclonis plans to use the Darkstone for? We have to get it back before she can set her plans in motion." Weaverbird nodded approvingly. She wished he didn't have to go on such a mission, but Aerrow knew what he was doing.

"Alright. Have Stork set a course for Cyclonia. We've got a crystal to swipe."

**Okay, I should have chapter 18 up in a couple days, hopefully. I've got a math test on Friday, so no guarantees. See y'all soon!**


	18. Chapter 18: Convening With Wyrms

**Hey y'all! here's chapter 18! I won't be able to update as often because I've not only got a math test on Friday, but also exams coming up in a couple weeks :P. I'll try though.**

**I don't own Storm Hawks. But I do own this plotline, Weaverbird, and the Wyrms in this chapter.**

_**Convening With Wyrms**_

Aerrow and Weaverbird were scrunched inside a tunnel, deep within the wastelands. It was a very tight fit, and it was _hot_. Aerrow was sweating profusely and Weaverbird would have been too, if she could've. Aerrow was lying as flat as he could along the Dragon's back, but he could still feel the tunnel's ceiling scraping along his own. He shuddered at the feel of the thin coating of slime on the ceiling. It was obvious that the Wyrms weren't used to visitors just dropping by.

"Halt! Who dares to trespass in the halls of the Wyrms?" The first Wyrm Aerrow and Weaverbird had ever seen rounded a corner and stared at them with round orange-y eyes.

It sort of looked like a Dragon; it had vestigial wings on its back, and four limbs, however stubby they might be. Its reddish skin was smooth and rather slimy. It was much longer than Weaverbird, and sported a chisel-shaped beak for digging. An armored plate that swept back from the Wyrm's head reminded Aerrow of the triceratops bones he had seen at museums, except that it was crested with sharp black spikes. Its eyes were red and had no pupils at all. A small horn protruded from its nose, indicating that this Wyrm was a young male. The Wyrm squinted at them in the dim light of the tunnel; Wyrms must not have very good eyesight.

"Who goes there?" The Wyrm demanded, his nostrils flaring. Weaverbird tried to creep back a step, but her scales caught on the rough surface of the wall.

"Ones who would have your aid in defeating an evil force," Weaverbird called back, "My friend needs the aid of a Wyrm to destroy a weapon that could spell the end of Atmos." The Wyrm snorted disbelievingly, "Oh, but it could even reach your people here in the wastelands. You're all sitting ducks in these tunnels. Give them time enough and they will find and enslave the Wyrms. I'm sure the Cyclonians would love to have you in the mines." At this the Wyrm stiffened; He didn't like to admit it, but the strange Dragoness was sounding very convincing. He grumbled a bit, shifting from stubby foot to stubby foot.

"Very well, I shall take you to see the Matriarch. She will not be pleased with this sudden disturbance, but perhaps she will find it in her hearts to aid you cousin. Follow me." With that, the Wyrm deftly turned around and squelched back down the tunnel. Weaverbird followed, Aerrow still scrunched against her back.

The Wyrm led the pair to an enormous cavern, so large that you couldn't even see the ceiling. Aerrow couldn't even begin to imagine how deep within the earth they must be; nor did he want to. If he thought about it, Aerrow could almost feel the weight of all that rock crushing down on him. He felt as though he would give almost anything to be out in the open air again.

Despite this, Aerrow found himself fascinated by the structure of the cave. The stalagmites and stalactites he could see were encrusted with some sort of glittering purple gem. Near the back of the cavern, a tall rocky outcropping jutted out into the middle of the cave. Wyrms were everywhere; even if Aerrow couldn't see them, he knew they were there. Their guide slithered up to the base of the base of the outcropping, and tapped an intricate pattern out on the stone with his beak. The hissing conversation of the other Wyrms died immediately.

A female Wyrm appeared on the stone. She wasn't like the other red Wyrms though; she was pure white, with red eyes. Albino, Aerrow realized. She wore an intricate silver and amethyst headdress. Weaverbird crouched and Aerrow slid off of her back, nearly slipping in the thin layer of slime that coated everything. The white Wyrm got right down to business.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" She demanded, eyeing them suspiciously. Her round red eyes were rather disconcerting.

"We have need of your aid. A dangerous weapon has resurfaced in the world above, and my friend here is the only one who can destroy it. He must journey deep beneath the surface to where the lava flows, and drop it in. However, being human, he cannot withstand such heat. Aerrow will need a Wyrm escort in order to reach such a depth. We will need to retrieve the weapon first, but if you could spare one of your people to help, the gesture would be much appreciated." Weaverbird dipped her head respectfully, waiting for the Matriarch's decision.

The white Wyrm considered for a moment. Aerrow tried to look her in the eye, and felt a presence in his mind. He realized that the Wyrm was probing his thoughts, as Icetalon once had, although at the same time Aerrow could see into the Wyrm's mind. She didn't completely trust Weaverbird, he found. The last time Wyrms and Dragons had seen one another, they had been the same species. Satisfied that the Dragon was telling the truth, the Wyrm's matriarch, Biali, withdrew from Aerrow's mind.

"Very well," Biali announced, "We will aid you in your quest. My brother Zaffiro and the young guard Rosso will guide you back to the surface." A blue male Wyrm and the guard Wyrm who had found them dissolved from the crowd and stood on either side of Weaverbird and Aerrow. Biali tossed a small silver object down to Aerrow; examining it closely, the sky knight found that it was a very intricate whistle.

"Blow on that when you have need of us," Biali instructed, "We will hear it even through the stone of the wastelands, and we will come to help you." Aerrow nodded gratefully, and the two Wyrms escorted Aerrow and Weaverbird to the surface.

"That was almost too easy." Weaverbird whispered to Aerrow. He agreed, but he wasn't complaining.

**Wow, I can't believe how close we're getting to the end of this story! -sob- But I've got ideas for other stories featuring Weaverbird in the works, so don't fret!**


	19. Chapter 19: Into Cyclonia Again

** Hey, guys! thanks for the reviews. This is likely the last chapter you'll get 'til Friday, so sit tight! Thanks again!**

_**Into Cyclonia (Again)**_

Aerrow peered around a corner into yet another hallway. It was harder to infiltrate Cyclonia this time, as they had increased their security after the last time the Storm Hawks had broken in. The fact that he had no idea where the Dark Ace's quarters were, or if he would be there at all did not help Aerrow's case much, but it seemed the most logical place to start. Talons were all over the place, and Aerrow wasn't sure if his janitor disguise would work this time (He had taken Piper's joke seriously though, and brought a mop). He had thought about 'borrowing' a Talon's uniform, but he didn't have time for that.

'_I don't have time for insecurities either,_' Aerrow told himself, '_All that matters is that I find Dark Ace, grab the Darkstone, and get out._' Weaverbird had mentioned that since it hadn't healed yet, the Remember on his injury was still in effect and he could use it to track his enemy. It had burned very slightly on entering Cyclonia, so the Dark Ace was still here, but that was all Aerrow could be sure of at the moment.

Scrubbing his mop inconspicuously over the steel flooring, Aerrow spotted his quarry striding authoritively down the hall opposite him. The Dark Ace's sword was sheathed casually; the Darkstone was missing from the hilt; the Dark Ace's standard Firebolt crystal was there instead. Aerrow figured that the Darkstone must be in his belt pouch. Shouldering his mop, Aerrow followed, trying to make himself as unnoticeable as possible.

The Dark Ace strode into a fairly spacious room that could only have been his quarters. Thankfully, he left his door open a crack and Aerrow was able to slip in after his enemy silently. The Dark Ace turned to shut the door, and jumped a mile in the air when he saw Aerrow standing there, his blades drawn. Aerrow surreptitiously nudged the door shut with his foot.

"What are you doing here?" Dark Ace asked in shock.

"I was in the neighborhood, and decided to drop by." Aerrow replied sarcastically, activating the blue blades. Dark Ace sneered at the youth, drawing and activating his own red weapon. They circled, Aerrow trying to ignore the burning in his chest; Weaverbird wasn't here to help him this time, and the Dark Ace knew it.

The Dark Ace was the first to lunge and Aerrow deftly parried, switching places with his enemy. The Dark Ace continued to strike like a berserker, trying to wear Aerrow down. Aerrow blocked yet another blow, and forced the Dark Ace backwards, finally getting in several strikes of his own. Aerrow couldn't afford to let his opponent reach his belt pouch, or it would all be over. They continued like this for a long time, until the Dark Ace got in a particularly powerful strike, and Aerrow staggered back a few steps. The Dark Ace started to reach for his belt pouch.

"Going to kill me like you killed my father Dark Ace?" Aerrow spat disgustedly. The Talon commander went rigid, "You want to get rid of me, because I remind you of him, don't I? I remind you of what you did that day, don't I?" A snarl formed on the former Storm Hawk's face. He struck out in his rage, and Aerrow sidestepped him easily. Before the Dark Ace could regain his footing, Aerrow thumped him over the back of his head with the hilt of his energy blade. The Dark Ace fell to the floor, out cold.

"You never learn, do you?" Aerrow chuckled, reaching into his enemy's belt pouch and retrieving his prize. The Darkstone glistened sulkily in the sky knight's hand. Aerrow pocketed it, and slipped out of the room. Now all he had to do was soak himself in Wyrm slime and drop the Darkstone into a pit of molten lava. Oh joy.

As Aerrow left, the Dark Ace began to stir.

* * *

Piper was starting to get worried about Aerrow when his skimmer, disguised as a switchblade appeared through the clouds. Piper rushed to the window as the sky knight made a pass by the Condor and gave a thumbs-up. Then, he dove into the wastelands. The other Storm Hawks were on the bridge as well, and when Aerrow made his pass, Finn, Junko, Piper and Weaverbird rushed to the hangar bay. Aerrow needed them to cover him, in case any Talons came after him. Stork pulled the Condor down beneath the cloud layer; the Storm Hawks agreed that it would be better to hide the carrier ship under the cloud line until it was absolutely needed.

Piper scanned the skies for their enemy. Piper squinted at a back cloud that materialized in the distance, and her heart plummeted. The Dark Ace was leading fifty or more Talons to meet the Storm Hawks. Piper radioed Stork.

"We're gonna need a lot more support up here," Piper's voice wavered a bit as she spoke, "It's the Dark Ace and he's brought over fifty Talons!"

"Fifty? Ooohhh, man, if Aerrow doesn't make it out soon, we're soo doomed. If any of my stuff survives, you can have it." The Merb replied.

"Gee, thanks Stork." Piper remarked flatly. She turned her attention to the incoming Talons, her face set. The Dark Ace laughed maniacally.

"Where's your sky knight now?" He taunted. Piper gritted her teeth and prepared for battle.

* * *

Aerrow was squelching along a very dark tunnel, his hand on Rosso's back for guidance. The Wyrms had coated him with their slime to protect him from the heat of the lava pit, and he was simply miserable. But the thought of finally achieving their goal kept him dragging his feet along the passage. Rosso was telling him a bit about his people.

"We Wyrms eat just about anything," He said, "Elephant Ants, Scorpion Flies, and Lava Eels, whatever we can catch." Rosso licked his lips and Aerrow shuddered; they didn't sound particularly appetizing to him.

"So why are the matriarch and her brother different colours? All the other Wyrms I've seen are red." Aerrow pointed out, his voice echoing slightly in the tunnel.

"Members of the royal family have never been red. No one knows why, but they're always some other colour. Biali was the only royal Wyrm to be white though." Rosso pondered for a moment and shrugged. The unlikely duo continued squishing their way down the tunnel.

A blast of hot air hit Aerrow in the face, and they were overwhelmed by the smell of brimstone. The heat in the tunnel had been increasing steadily for a while, but Aerrow barely noticed it; the Wyrm's slime was working better than he had expected.

"We must be getting close." Rosso mmrred excitedly, and they pressed on, deeper and deeper underground.

**Ooohh, we're getting to the big climactic battle! Which also means we're getting close to the end. It makes me kind of sad that it's almost over, but happy too that I've actually finished a story this long. Don't forget to review please! See y'all on Friday! **


	20. Chapter 20: The Final Fight

**Okay, I lied. This is the last chapter of this story, and then I also have the epilogue up. Wow, I can't believe this is it. I'd like to thank all my reviewers for the support; if it weren't for you, I'd have no motivation and wouldn't have gotten this far. Thanks again and enjoy!**

_**The Final Fight**_

Even with Stork's help, the Storm Hawks were fairing badly. They had taken down many of the Talons but for every one they defeated, three more would take his place. Piper hoped fervently that Aerrow was doing better than she was.

The Dark Ace watched the proceedings from a slight distance. The Storm Hawks were slowly being worn down; when they were completely exhausted, he and his new ally would go in for the kill. '_But why wait?_' Dark Ace reasoned. It's not as though they could win without their sky knight, even with a Dragon on their side. Bloodclaws would take care of the She-Dragon. The Dark Ace would find Aerrow later and end the legacy of the Storm Hawks once and for all.

Dark Ace gave the signal to fall back, and gave a long blow on an obsidian whistle. Piper was so exhausted that she almost didn't see the gargantuan black shape rise from the fortress of Cyclonia and streak towards them.

* * *

Aerrow stood on the edge of an enormous underground chasm, staring at the black crystal in his hand. It glittered in the light from the magma below. He could practically taste his victory. '_We haven't won yet._' The little voice at the back of his mind whimpered. Aerrow knew it was true; the Dark Ace would have pursued him to regain the Darkstone.

"Today this ends." Aerrow whispered to himself, and drawing his arm back, he threw the Darkstone into the fiery pit below. The Darkstone gave a burst of light in defiance and Aerrow's wound burned intensely for a few seconds. Then the crystal disappeared beneath the lava, never to cause any more trouble again. There was a flash of image and sound, and Aerrow saw his squadron struggling to fight off an armada of Talons, and a creature he could only describe as death on wings flying towards them.

'_They need your help, sky knight._' The voice of Silverglow sounded in Aerrow's mind, and then it all faded away into thin air. Aerrow turned to Rosso.

"We need to get to the surface as quickly as possible," He said to the Wyrm, "Do you know a quicker way?"

"The only way back to the surface is the way we came," Rosso replied, "But if you were to ride on my back, it would be a considerably faster trip." Aerrow nodded and clambered onto Rosso's back, struggling to get a grip on the Wyrm's slimy scales. Rosso and his passenger took off through the tunnels towards the surface.

The Wyrm was incredibly speedy in the tunnels; his undulating gait had Aerrow clinging to Rosso's neck for dear life. In considerably less time than it had taken for them to reach the pit of fire, the Wyrm and the sky knight found themselves bursting from the tunnel into the wastelands. Aerrow looked up just in time to see two Dragons plummet to the ground.

* * *

Just as Aerrow was about to throw the Darkstone into the chasm, Piper found herself locked in combat with the Dark Ace. Finn and Junko were circling them, trying to help her. Weaverbird's gaze was fixed on the black Dragon that approached; he was all too familiar to the Dragoness.

"_You!_" Weaverbird snarled at the Drake. He grinned malevolently at her.

"So you remember me after all these years," He laughed back, "Where are those kits you tried so hard to protect? Ready to surrender them to me yet?" The black Drake licked his chops evilly. Weaverbird roared in defiance at her mate's murderer.

"It was you who gave the Dark Ace the Darkstone, wasn't it?" Weaverbird growled angrily.

"Brighter than you look, aren't you?" he replied. The two Dragons collided in midair and, still fighting, fell through the cloud layer and into the wastelands.

* * *

Aerrow and Rosso had raced to the spot where the two Dragons had fallen. They were still fighting when they landed. Aerrow gasped; the black Drake, Bloodclaws, was three times bigger than Weaverbird. The red Dragon crystal on Bloodclaws' collar didn't pulse with the gentle comforting white light that Weaverbird's did; the light inside this crystal was as black as the Drake's scales, perhaps even blacker if that were possible.

The two Dragons wrestled, roaring and snarling fiercely. They almost seemed like one continuous animal, if it weren't for the differences in colour. Bloodclaws forced Weaverbird away and they drooped to all fours, circling. Aerrow and Rosso watched from behind a large rock. Even the ever-hungry lava eels stayed back from the fight, apprehension in their yellow eyes.

The Dragons reared onto their hind legs simultaneously, boxing with their powerful paws. Weaverbird caught her enemy across the left side of his muzzle with one claw, leaving a deep gash. Bloodclaws turned the other way, revealing an ugly scar across his right eye.

"Goes well with the other one, doesn't it?" Weaverbird hissed, rearing up again slightly. Bloodclaws glared at the Dragoness through blood-red eyes. Skimmer engines sounded overhead, but no one noticed.

"Then you will pay for both scars!" He roared. Bloodclaws' tail lashed out, apparently to impale Weaverbird on the isoscele. But it missed the Dragoness' throat by mere inches, connecting with something else instead. Bloodclaws grinned; he had hit his true target. Weaverbird turned, and gasped in shock. The black Drake tugged his isoscele out of Aerrow's chest, and the sky knight fell to his knees, bleeding profusely and in shock.

Weaverbird gave an enraged roar, and leaped onto Bloodclaws' back. She grabbed hold of his neck in her jaws, sinking her talons into his shoulders. The Drake writhed, trying to throw Weaverbird off of his back. Swinging her tail around, Weaverbird dug her own isoscele into Bloodclaws' throat, slicing through the weaker scales; the black light in his Dragon crystal went out. Weaverbird leaped off of her defeated enemy's back, pushing his body into the river of molten lava. Sighing in exhaustion, Weaverbird turned back to Aerrow.

Piper and the other Storm Hawks had already landed; they had barely managed to fight off the Dark Ace, but they did. Piper cradled the dying Aerrow in her arms, tears falling from her eyes to mingle with the sky knight's blood. Weaverbird's heart felt as though it would collapse in on itself. Aerrow reached up with one hand and Piper held it to her cheek.

'_Where there's life, there's hope._' A small voice echoed in Weaverbird's head, and she knew what she had to do. She removed the Dragon crystal from her collar, and chipped off a piece of it with her bloodstained isoscele. A miniature light pulsed in the center of the shard. Weaverbird reached out with one claw, and buried the shard of crystal in the fresh wound in Aerrow's chest. He gasped painfully, and gave a shudder. And, miraculously, began to heal.

Contrary to what people tend to believe, healing a wound magically was not a pleasant experience; this was why Weaverbird preferred natural healing over this method. Aerrow could feel his flesh and skin stretch and mend itself. Shattered pieces of bone returned to their original places and fused together. Lost blood was replaced, and torn muscle knitted together.

Aerrow sat up, his green eyes bright again, and no trace of the wound on his chest. Not even a scar. He stared at Weaverbird disbelievingly. Without warning, Piper threw her arms around her leader's neck, sobbing with relief.

"Oh, Aerrow we thought we'd lost you!" She gasped. Aerrow patted her on the arm awkwardly. Finn grinned mischievously; he would never let Aerrow live this down. Junko swept them all up in a bone crushing hug.

"I'm so glad we're all together guys!" the Wallop wailed happily. Weaverbird purred in amusement. '_All's well that ends well._' She thought. Their quest was over; they had won.

**Yay! A happy ending after all! I nearly cried writing this chapter. But it's not_ quite_ over yet. There's still the epilogue. See y'all in a few minutes actually, since the epilogue's up too. **


	21. Epilogue: A Blessing and a Curse

**Here we are at the end of the story. The epilogue closes it off, and explains a few things. I've got nothin' to say, so you know what to do.**

_**A Blessing and a Curse**_

Aerrow lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was thinking about the major victory they had scored and wondering what Weaverbird would do next. Aerrow would have loved for her to stay, but she had a family and other obligations to attend to as well. He shifted under his covers. It was too hot in here; he needed some air.

Walking out onto the runway, Aerrow was surprised to see that Weaverbird was already out there. The Blue Dragoness was well camouflaged against the night sky. Aerrow walked up and settled himself beside Weaverbird.

"Well, you're up late." She purred, still gazing up at the stars. Aerrow looked at the sky too, and caught sight of what Weaverbird was looking at; the constellation Draco.

"What do you think; does it really look like a Dragon?" Weaverbird mmrred conversationally to her companion. Aerrow merely shrugged. He supposed it did in profile but to put it quite frankly, the line of stars looked more like a kite to him.

"What are you planning on doing next?" Aerrow asked apprehensively. Weaverbird rustled her wings gently and turned to the sky knight.

"Well I'll travel with you of course," she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "We can't travel farther than twenty ticks from each other any more, after all." Aerrow waited for the Dragoness to elaborate.

"Dragon crystals are both a blessing and a curse, Aerrow," Weaverbird sighed, "They grant us incredible power, true. But that's not all they do.

"Because of the Dragon crystals, we must be careful to keep the promises we make. We are bound by our word, and I owed your father my life; I even said as much. When your father was killed, I was cursed, bound to my terra until another way to repay my debt became apparent. You weren't the only ones who were extremely lucky to crash on my terra." Aerrow thought about this; he couldn't imagine what it must be like to have to choose your words so carefully all the time.

"So, naturally, my bond now connected me to you after that. And when I gave you a piece of my crystal to heal your wounds, I bound us even more tightly. I don't seem to be very good at this, am I?" Weaverbird purred. Aerrow chuckled.

"Does that mean it'll have the same effect on me?" Aerrow wondered. Now it was Weaverbird's turn to shrug.

"Who knows? It will be interesting to see how that plays out." The Dragoness answered. Aerrow agreed.

Things were going to get a lot more interesting from here on out; Aerrow just knew it.

**The End. But not the end of Weaverbird's adventures with the Storm Hawks. Keep an eye out for 'Split Personality', which should be up sometime this weekend. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as I did writing it. I can't believe how fast it went by. **

**I hope to see you all at my next fic. Bye!**


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